San Joaquin Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica
. It operates about 408 miles (656.6 km) of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley
outside of Fresno, California
and Bakersfield, California
. The SJVR has trackage rights
over Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific
) from Fresno - Goshen Jct - Famoso - Bakersfield - Algoso. The SJVR also operates for the Tulare Valley Railroad
(TVRR) from Calwa to Corcoran and Famoso.
There were two former San Joaquin Valley Railroads. One was owned by Leland Stanford in 1870 to build an 11.3 miles (18.2 km) line from Lathrop, California to the Stanislaus River and was consolidated into the Central Pacific Railroad
. The second San Joaquin Valley Railroad operated from 1892–1893 between Fresno and Friant over 24.1 miles (38.8 km) of track and was sold at foreclosure
to the Southern Pacific.
In 1991 the SJVR operated the entire former SP line from Fresno to Famoso, but a portion north of Famoso was later abandoned.
SJVR interchanges with the BNSF Railway
at Fresno and Bakersfield and with the Union Pacific at Fresno and Goshen Junction.
SJVR was originally owned by Kyle Railways. In 1992, the SJVR was created to obtain and operate several branch lines from the Southern Pacific. From 1992–1997 the SJVR was owned by Kyle Railways. In 1997 SJVR's parent, Kyle Railways, was sold to States Rail. In 2002 SJVR's new parent, States Rail, was purchased by RailAmerica. Today the SJVR remains a shortline within the RailAmerica family of railroads.
(PRI; also a Kyle subsidiary) and operated by the SJVR. On April 24, 1996 the PRI was merged into the SJVR. Both the PRI and SJVR were already Kyle Railway subsidiaries. The section of track between Los Banos and Oxalis was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1993 and the tracks were removed soon after.
The Southern Pacific constructed the track from Tracy to Newman (37 miles) and from Los Banos to Armona (near Fresno) in 1891. Southern Pacific's overnight Owl passenger train (#57/58) operated over this line between San Francisco and Los Angeles into the 1960s.
In 2008, the Surface Transportation Board approved the abandonment of the section of track between Strathmore and Jovista. This left the communities of Strathmore, Porterville, Terra Bella, Ducor, and Richgrove without any rail service. Tulare County has recently broken off negotiations with the SJVR to purchase this section of track to preserve it for future use and possible reactivation. However, beginning in September 2010, the tracks were being removed by the SJVR and the job was completed with the entire line having been pulled up in mid November. The future of this line is very much in doubt and with the rails having now been removed, it's extremely unlikely that trains will ever traverse that corridor again. The SJVR is also looking to abandon two additional sections: Strathmore to Exeter and Exeter to Dinuba. Due to the low traffic and poor condition of these tracks, eventual abandonment seems likely.
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
. It operates about 408 miles (656.6 km) of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
outside of Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
and Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. The SJVR has trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
) from Fresno - Goshen Jct - Famoso - Bakersfield - Algoso. The SJVR also operates for the Tulare Valley Railroad
Tulare Valley Railroad
The Tulare Valley Railroad was operational on December 22, 1992 after acquiring several former Santa Fe Railway branch lines in California's San Joaquin Valley on October 20, 1992. The company was formed by Morris Kulmer & Kern Schumucher and Michael Van Wagenen of Kyle Railways...
(TVRR) from Calwa to Corcoran and Famoso.
There were two former San Joaquin Valley Railroads. One was owned by Leland Stanford in 1870 to build an 11.3 miles (18.2 km) line from Lathrop, California to the Stanislaus River and was consolidated into the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
. The second San Joaquin Valley Railroad operated from 1892–1893 between Fresno and Friant over 24.1 miles (38.8 km) of track and was sold at foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
to the Southern Pacific.
In 1991 the SJVR operated the entire former SP line from Fresno to Famoso, but a portion north of Famoso was later abandoned.
SJVR interchanges with the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
at Fresno and Bakersfield and with the Union Pacific at Fresno and Goshen Junction.
SJVR was originally owned by Kyle Railways. In 1992, the SJVR was created to obtain and operate several branch lines from the Southern Pacific. From 1992–1997 the SJVR was owned by Kyle Railways. In 1997 SJVR's parent, Kyle Railways, was sold to States Rail. In 2002 SJVR's new parent, States Rail, was purchased by RailAmerica. Today the SJVR remains a shortline within the RailAmerica family of railroads.
Lines operated by SJVR
- Fresno - Exeter - Strathmore (the original line continued south to Jovista but has been abandoned and removed as of November 2010)
- Exeter - Goshen Jct. - Hanford - Huron
- Burrel - Helm - Tranquility - Ingle
- Oxalis - Mendota - Ingle - Kerman - Fresno
- Fresno - Pinedale
- Ultra - Ducor (out of service and tracks removed)
- Famoso - Hollis
- Maltha - Oil Jct - Landco
- Bakersfield - Gosford - Buttonwillow
- Gosford - Taft
- Algoso - Arvin
- Trackage rightsTrackage rightsTrackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over UP from Fresno - Algoso (Bakersfield) via Goshen Jct.
Oxalis - Mendota - Fresno
This mainline route was formerly known as Southern Pacific's "West Side Line" and at one time extended from Tracy, California and then south through the West side of the San Joaquin Valley (I-5 corridor) via Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Los Banos, Oxalis and then east to Fresno via Ingle and Kerman. California Northern Railroad now operates the northern section of the line from Tracy - Los Banos. SJVR operates the southern section of the line from Oxalis to Fresno and was at one time owned by Port Railroads, Inc.Port Railroads
Port Railroads, Inc. was a shortline railroad owned by Kyle Railways. PRI was formed on March 13, 1994 to take over two Southern Pacific Railroad lines. One of SP's lines was the West Side Line between Fresno northwest to Oxalis, California and a branch running from Ingle to Burrell...
(PRI; also a Kyle subsidiary) and operated by the SJVR. On April 24, 1996 the PRI was merged into the SJVR. Both the PRI and SJVR were already Kyle Railway subsidiaries. The section of track between Los Banos and Oxalis was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1993 and the tracks were removed soon after.
The Southern Pacific constructed the track from Tracy to Newman (37 miles) and from Los Banos to Armona (near Fresno) in 1891. Southern Pacific's overnight Owl passenger train (#57/58) operated over this line between San Francisco and Los Angeles into the 1960s.
In 2008, the Surface Transportation Board approved the abandonment of the section of track between Strathmore and Jovista. This left the communities of Strathmore, Porterville, Terra Bella, Ducor, and Richgrove without any rail service. Tulare County has recently broken off negotiations with the SJVR to purchase this section of track to preserve it for future use and possible reactivation. However, beginning in September 2010, the tracks were being removed by the SJVR and the job was completed with the entire line having been pulled up in mid November. The future of this line is very much in doubt and with the rails having now been removed, it's extremely unlikely that trains will ever traverse that corridor again. The SJVR is also looking to abandon two additional sections: Strathmore to Exeter and Exeter to Dinuba. Due to the low traffic and poor condition of these tracks, eventual abandonment seems likely.