List of California railroads

The following railroads operate in the U.S. state of California.

Common freight carriers

*Alameda Belt Line (ABL)
*Almanor Railroad (AL)
*Arizona and California Railroad (ARZC)
*BNSF Railway (BNSF)
*California Northern Railroad (CNRR)
*Carrizo Gorge Railway (CZRY)
*Central California Traction (CCT)
*Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP)
*Lake County Railroad (LCR)
*Los Angeles Junction Railway (LAJ)
*McCloud Railway (MCR)
*Modesto and Empire Traction (MET)
*Modoc Northern Railroad (MNRR)
*Napa Valley Railroad (NVRR)
*Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) (out of service)
*Oakdale Traction (OTCR)
*Oakland Terminal Railway (OTR)
*Pacific Harbor Line (PHL)
*Quincy Railroad (QRR)
*Richmond Pacific Railroad (RPRC)
*Sacramento Valley Railroad (SAV)
*San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad (SDIY)
*San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR)
*Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway (SCBG)
*Santa Maria Valley Railroad (SMV)
*Sierra Northern Railway (SERA)
*Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad (STE)
*Trona Railway (TRC)
*Tulare Valley Railroad (TVRR)
*Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
*Ventura County Railroad (VCRR)
*West Isle Line (WFS)
*Yreka Western Railroad (YW)

Private freight carriers

*San Francisco Bay Railroad
*Southern California Railroad
*USG Corporation
*Western Rail Switching

Passenger carriers

*Altamont Commuter Express
*Amtrak (AMTK): "California Zephyr, Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquins, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited"
*Bay Area Rapid Transit
*Calico and Odessa Railroad
*California high-speed rail (proposed)
*California Trolley and Railroad Corporation
*California Western Railroad
*Caltrain
*Fillmore and Western Railway
*Ghost Town and Calico Railway
*Los Angeles County Metro Rail
*Market Street Railway
*Metrolink
*Napa Valley Wine Train
*Niles Canyon Railway
*Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line
*Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
*Sacramento Regional Transit District
*San Diego Coaster
*San Diego Trolley
*San Francisco MUNI
*Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
*Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
*Sacramento RiverTrain
*Sacramento Southern Railroad
*Sierra Railroad
*Sprinter (under construction)
*Western Pacific Railroad Museum
*Western Railway Museum
*Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
*Yreka Western Railroad

Defunct railroads

Common Carriers

tandard Gauge

*Alameda Belt Line "ceased operations in 1998"
*Alameda and Haywards Railroad/Alameda Railroad 1863 - 1869?
*Alameda Valley Railroad c. 1864
*Amador Foothills Railroad (AFRR) "last run on June 7 2004"
**Amador Central Railroad (AMC) "1909 - 1999"
***Ione and Eastern Railroad "1904 - 1908"

*Arcata and Mad River Railroad
**Arcata Transportation Company

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) "later BNSF"

**California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway "ATSF Subsidiary"
***Barnwell and Searchlight Railway "ATSF Subsidiary"
***California Eastern Railway
****Nevada Southern Railway
***Kings River Railway
****Fresno County Railway
***Laton and Western Railway
***Oakland and East Side Railroad
****California and Nevada Railroad
*****California and Mount Diablo Railroad Narrow Gauge 1881-1884
**California Southern Railroad (of 1914)
**Randsburg Railway 1897-1903 Kern County (abandoned 1933/1934)
** San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railway
**Santa Fe Pacific Railroad
*** Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
**Southern California Railway
***California Southern Railroad (of 1881)
****California Southern Extension Railroad
****California Southern Rail Road
***California Central Railway
****Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Rail Road
****Los Angeles and Santa Monica Railroad
****Riverside, Santa Ana and Los Angeles Railway
****San Bernardino and Los Angeles Railway
****San Bernardino and San Diego Railway
****San Bernardino Valley Railway
****San Diego Central Railroad
****San Jacinto Valley Railway
***Redondo Beach Railway
***Southern California Railway
***San Bernardino and Eastern Railway
***Santa Fe and Santa Monica Railway

*Bucksport and Elk River Railway
**Bucksport and Elk River Railroad
* Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) "later BNSF"
**Great Northern Railway
*California Central Railroad (of 1912)
**San Juan Pacific Railway
**San Juan Southern Railway
*California Northeastern Railway
*California, Shasta and Eastern Railway 1913-1927, removed 1942.
**Anderson and Bella Vista Railroad 1909-1913
* California Southern Railway
*California Western Railroad
**California Western Railroad and Navigation Company
***Fort Bragg Railroad
*Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad
**Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railway
*Carson and Colorado Railroad/Carson and Colorado Railway
*Carson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company
*Caspar, South Fork and Eastern Railroad
**Caspar and Hare Creek Railroad
***Caspar Creek Railroad

Central Pacific Railroad (CP) "later SP"

** California Pacific Railroad
***California Pacific Railroad Extension Company
***California Pacific Rail Road
***Sacramento and San Francisco Rail Road
***Napa Valley Rail Road
***San Francisco and Marysville Rail Road
**Central California Railway
**Central Pacific Railroad
***California and Oregon Railroad (of 1869)
****California and Oregon Railroad (of 1868)
****Yuba Rail Road/Yuba Railroad 1862-1869 Lincoln-Marysville (Placer County)
****California and Oregon Railroad (of 1865)
****California Central Railroad (of 1857)
****Marysville Railroad
***Central Pacific Railroad Company of California
****Central Pacific Rail Road Company of California
***Freeport Rail Road
***San Joaquin Valley Railroad (of 1868)
***Western Pacific Railroad (of 1869)
****San Francisco Bay Railroad
*****Western Pacific Railroad (of 1862)
**Butte County Railroad/Chico and Northern Railroad
**Fernley and Lassen Railway
**Goose Lake and Southern Railway
**Modoc Northern Railway
**Nevada and California Railway
**Nevada-California-Oregon Railway
**Oregon Eastern Railway
**Sacramento Southern Railroad
**San Joaquin Valley Railroad (of 1868) "Lathrop"

*Coal Fields Railway
**Stone Canyon Pacific Railway
***Stone Canon Pacific Railroad
*Colusa and Lake Railroad
**Colusa Railroad
*Contra Costa Railroad [http://www.cocohistory.com/bray-38-08-22.html] 1860s
*Del Norte Souther Railroad
**Crescent City and Smith River Railroad
*Eureka Southern Railroad "from NWP, later NCRR"
*Feather River Railway
**Feather River Pine Mills
***Hutchison Lumber Company
*Grande Ronde Pine Company "later AL"
**Red River Lumber Company
*Great Western Railway Company of Oregon
*Harbor Belt Line (HBL) "later PHL"
*Hetch Hetchy Railroad (HHRR) "1917–1949"
*Hobart Southern Railroad
*Kings Lake Shore Railroad "abandoned 1934"
*Klamath Lake Railroad "later Siskiyou Electric Light and Power Company (private railroad)"
* Lake County Railroad (LCR) "1997-2005 former SP Lakeview Branch, later Modoc Northern"

Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (LASL) "later UP"

**Riverside, Rialto and Pacific Railroad
***Crescent City Railway
**San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad
***Los Angeles Terminal Railway
****Los Angeles, Pasadena and Glendale Railway
*****Los Angeles and Glendale Railway
******Los Angeles and Glendale Railroad
****Pasadena Railway
*****Altadena Railway

* Los Angeles Junction Railway (LAJ)
*Ludlow and Southern Railway "abandoned 1935"
*McCloud River Railroad 1897-1992 "later MCR"
*Minarets and Western Railway 1921-1933
*Mono Lake Lumber Company
**Bodie Railway and Lumber Company
***Bodie and Benton Railway and Commercial Company
****Bodie Railway and Lumber Company
*Mount Diablo Railroad [http://www.cocohistory.com/bray-38-08-22.html] 1860s

Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) "later SP"

**California Northwestern Railway 1898-1907
**Fort Bragg and Southeastern Railroad 1903-1907
***Albion and Southeastern Railway/Albion and South Eastern Railroad 1902-1905
****Albion Lumber Company 1891-1905
****Albion River Railroad 1885-1902
**North Shore Railroad 1902-1907 NG & SG
***North Pacific Coast Railroad 1871-1902 NG & SG
**Oregon and Eureka Railroad 1903-1911
***Eureka and Klamath River Railroad 1896-1907
****Humboldt Bay and Trinidad Railroad 1891-1896
*****Humboldt and Mad River Railroad 1875-1892
**San Francisco and North Pacific Railway 1888-1907
***Cloverdale and Ukiah Rail Road
***Marin and Napa Rail Road
***Sonoma Valley Railroad
***San Francisco and San Rafael Rail Road
***San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad
****Fulton and Guerneville Railroad
****Sonoma and Marin Railroad
****San Francisco and North Pacific Rail Road
*****San Francisco and Humboldt Bay Railroad
*****Sonoma County Railroad
**San Francisco and Northwestern Railroad 1903-1907
***Eel River and Eureka Rail Road
***Pacific Lumber Company
***California Midland Railroad
***California and Northern Railway
**San Rafael and San Quentin Rail Road NG & SG, leased to NWP in 1907, aband. 1946.

*Oakland Terminal Railroad "1935-1943 from Key System, later OTR"
*Ocean Shore Railroad "abandoned 1921"
**Ocean Shore Railway 1905-1911
* Oregon and California Railroad
* Pajaro Valley Consolidated Railroad
*Parr Terminal Railroad (PRT) "later RPRC"
*Port Railroads (PRI) "later SJVR"
*Randsburg Railway

Sacramento Northern Railway (SN) "later WP"

**San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad
***Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railway
****Oakland and Antioch Railway
**Sacramento Northern Railroad
***Northern Electric Railway
****Northern Electric Company
*****Chico Electric Railway
*****Marysville and Yuba Street Rail Road
****Shasta Southern Railway
***Sacramento Terminal Company
***Northern Electric Railway - Marysville and Colusa Branch
***Sacramento and Woodland Railroad

San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad (SDIY)

**San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SDAE)
***San Diego and Arizona Railway
****San Diego and South Eastern Railway
*****San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway
*****San Diego Southern Railway
******National City and Otay Railway
******Coronado Railroad

*San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad
*Shasta Southern Railroad to Northern Electric Railway
**Redding and Red Bluff Railway 1906 Proposed Chico-Redding

Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) "later UP"

*Coast Line Railway
*Colusa and Hamilton Railroad
*Hanford and Summit Lake Railway SP's Riverdale Branch
*Holton Interurban Railway
*Inter-California Railway
**Imperial and Gulf Railway
*Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company "abandoned 1943"
*Los Angeles and San Diego Railroad "leased by SP until 1888"
*Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad "First railroad in Southern California"
*Minarets and Western Railway 1921 - 1933
*Monterey Railroad 1880-1888
**Pacific Improvement Company 1879-1880
***Monterey and Salinas Rail Road 1874-1879 (sold at foreclosure) "First Narrow Gauge in CA."
*Northern California Railway
*Northern California Railroad
**California Northern Rail Road
*Northern Railway (CA) "SP subsidiary - later SP"
**Amador Branch Railroad
**Berkeley Branch Railroad
**Sacramento and Placerville Rail Road 1877-1888
***Folsom and Placerville Railroad 1876-1877
***Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad 1862-1877
***Sacramento Valley Railroad "first railroad in California" 5' gauge 1852-1877
**San Gabriel Valley Rapid Transit Railway
***Raymond Railroad 1883-1891 abandoned line in 1960s Alhambra CA
**San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad 1882-1888
**Vaca Valley and Clear Lake Railroad 1877-1898
***Vaca Valley Railroad 1869-1877
**West Side and Mendocino Railroad
*Pajaro and Santa Cruz Railroad
**Loma Prieta Railroad
*Ramona and San Bernardino Railroad 1888 Alhambra, CA
*Red Rock Railroad 1908-1910 Kern County
* San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road
*San Joaquin Valley and Yosemite Railroad
*San Joaquin Valley Railroad (of 1891) "Fresno area"
*San Jose and Almaden Railroad
*San Pablo and Tulare Rail Road 1871-1888 (subsidiary railroad of CP & SP)
*Santa Ana and Newport Railway 1892-1899
**Santa Ana and Westminster Railway
**Newport Wharf and Lumber
**Santa Ana Rail Road
*Stockton and Copperopolis Railroad "to SP in 1888"
**Stockton and Visalia Rail Road "1869-1877"
**Stockton and Copperopolis Rail Road "1865-1877"
*Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad "to SP in 1899"
*Visalia Rail Road "to SP in 1899"
*Visalia Electric Railroad "to SP in 1992"
**Chowchilla Pacific Railway

* State Belt Railroad
** San Francisco Belt Railroad
* Stockton and Ione Railroad "abandoned 1875"
* Sugar Pine Railway "abandoned 1922"
* Sunset Railway "jointly owned by ATSF & SP"
** Sunset Western Railway
** Sunset Railroad
* Tidewater Southern Railway (TS) "later WP"
** Tidewater Southern Transit "1912"
** Tidewater and Southern Railroad "1910-1912"
* Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad "abandoned 1942"

* U.S. Navy at CNWS
** Bay Point and Clayton Railroad
* Ventura County Railway (VCY) "to VCRR in 1998"
** Bakersfield and Ventura Railroad "to VCY in 1911"
*** Bakersfield and Ventura Railway "1903 - 1906"
* Visalia and Tulare Railroad "abandoned 1900"
* Visalia Electric Railroad "later SP"
** Chowchilla Pacific Railway

Western Pacific Railroad (WP) "later UP"

** Boca and Loyalton Railroad
** Indian Valley Railroad
** Western Pacific Railway
*** Alameda and San Joaquin Railroad

*Yolo Shortline Railroad (YSLR) "former SN track from UP later Sierra Northern Ry"
*Yosemite Valley Railway "abandoned 1945"
**Yosemite Valley Railroad
*Yreka Railroad "later YW"

Narrow Gauge Common

*Camino, Cable and Northern Railroad Defunct Tourist Railroad near Placerville [http://ncespee.railfan.net/Foothill/images/ccnbrochure.jpg] c. 1963-1974
*Chino Valley Railway "abandoned 1910"
*Death Valley Railroad "abandoned 1931"
*Diamond and Caldor Railway "abandoned 1953"
*Iron Mountain Railway "abandoned 1927"
*Los Angeles Railway "a narrow gauge interurban"
**Los Angeles and Redondo Railway
***Redondo Railway Company
****Rosencrans Railroad Company
*Mono Lake Lumber "abandoned 1917"
**Bodie Railway and Lumber Company 1893-1906
***Bodie and Benton Railway and Commercial Company 1882-1893
***Bodie and Benton Railroad "1881-1890"
****Bodie Railway and Lumber Company 1881-1882
*Monterey and Salinas Valley Railroad/Monterey and Salinas Valley Rail Road 1874-1879 (sold at foreclosure to Pacific Improvement - Standard Gauge) "First Narrow Gauge in CA."
*Pacific Coast Railway "abandoned 1942"
**Pacific Coast Railroad 1882
***San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria Valley Railroad 1875-1882
****San Luis Obispo Railroad 1873-1875
*Pajaro and Santa Cruz Railroad "later SP"
**Santa Cruz Railroad
*Pajaro Valley Consolidated Railroad
**Pajaro Valley Railway
**Pajaro Valley Extension Railroad
*San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad "1882-1904"
*South Pacific Coast Railroad - "later SP"
**Bay and Coast Railroad
**Almaden Branch Railroad
**Bay and Coast Railroad
**Felton and Pescadero Railroad
*Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Railroad - a division of the Southern Pacific Railroad (standard gauge) "1912-1960"
**Nevada and California Railway "1905-1912"
***Carson and Colorado Railway "1880-1905"
*Yosemite Short Line Railway "abandoned 1917"

Private Railroads

tandard Gauge

*California Redwood Company (logging)
**Humboldt Logging Railway
**Trinidad Milling Company
*Clover Valley Lumber Company (logging)
**Marsh Lumber Company
***Horton Brothers

*Crane Creek Lumber Company (logging)
*Eagle Mountain Railroad (mine) later leased to SP
*Fruit Growers Supply (logging)
*Georgia-Pacific (logging)
**Hammond Lumber Company
***Hammond Redwood Lumber Company
****Hammond and Little River Redwood Company
*****Hammond Lumber Company
******Little River Redwood Company
****Humboldt Northern Railway
*Glen Blair Redwood Company (logging)

*Gualala River Railroad (logging) 68 1/2" gauge
**Gualala River Railway
***Gualala Mill Company

*Humboldt Northern Railway (logging)

*Long-Bell Lumber Company (logging)
**Weed Lumber Company

*Los Angeles and Independence Rail Road "later SP"
*Michigan-California Lumber Company (logging)
**R.E. Danaher Company
***C.D. Danaher Pine Company
****El Dorado Lumber Company
*****American River Land and Lumber Company

*Parr-Richmond Industrial Corporation (industrial/scrap metal) "later PRT"
*Rainbow Mill and Lumber Company (logging) 1918-1921 Siskiyou County
*N.B. Randal Sawmill (logging) 20 miles 1935-1935 Amador County
*Raymond Granite (quarry) Madera County
*Red River Railroad (logging) 1927-1944 Later Almanor Railroad
**Red River Lumber Company 1912-1927
*Redding, Afterthought and Northwestern Railway 1907-1908
*Shaver Lake Lumber Company (logging) 1919-1927 (abandoned)
**Shaver Lake Railroad (logging) 1907-1919
*Southwestern Portland Cement Company (mine)
**Mojave Northern Railroad "(a common carrier 1914-1928)"
*Tecopa Railroad (mine: lead, gold silver) "abandoned 1941"
*Western Plant Services (WPSX) "later WRAX" Chevron Refinery - Richmond, CA

*Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company (logging) "abandoned 1942"
**Yosemite Lumber Company

Narrow Gauge

*Borate and Daggett Railroad (mining)
*Butte and Plumas Railway (lumber)
*Goodyear Redwood Lumber Company (logging)
**Greenwood Railroad
**L.E. White Lumber Company
***Elk Creek Railroad
*Lake Valley Railroad (lumber)
**Lake Valley Narrow Gauge Railroad
***G.W. Chubuck
*Madera Suger Pine Company "abandoned 1937 - today Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad"
*Nevada-California-Oregon Railway "later SP and WP"
*Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad "1876-1942"
*Northern Redwood Lumber Company (logging) 45 1/2" gauge
**Humboldt Lumber Mill Company
*Patterson and Western Railroad (magnesite ore) "1916-1921"
*Pino Grande Railroad (logging)
*Read Timber and Lumber Company (logging) Emigrant Gap, CA 1906-1918
*Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber Company (logging) see also Hobart Southern Railroad
*Pacific Portland Cement Company "later USG 1946"
**Imperial Gypsum Company Railroad/Imperial Valley Gypsum and Oil Company
*Sinton and Brown Railroad (sugar) Santa Maria, CA c. 1934
*Towle Brothers Company (logging) "abandoned 1903"
*West Side Lumber Company railway (logging) "abandoned 1965"
*Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valleys Railway Company of California
*Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley Railroad
*Yellow Aster Mine (mine) 1899 Randsburg (Kern County)
*Yellow Jacket Railroad (logging) 1908-1913 Lyonsville (Tehama County)

Proposed railroads

*Amador Railroad 1893-1896
*Amargosa Valley Railroad 1907
*Anaheim, Olinda and Pomona Railroad 1888-1889
*Anaheim Railway 1870-1871
*Anaheim-San Bernardino Railroad 1868
*Antioch and Grangerville Railroad 1880-1881
*Antioch and Visalia Railroad 1870/1871
*Arcadia and Monrovia Railway 1887
*Arrowhead and Waterman Railroad 1891
*Auburn Branch Railroad 1858
*Avila and Sunset Railway 1902-1903
*Azusa, Pomona and Elsinore Railroad 1895
*Baja California and Sonora Railroad 1881-1882
*Bakersfield and Los Angeles Railway 1898-1899
*Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo Railroad 1875
*Bay and Coast Railway 1899 Narrow Gauge Electric & Common Carrier
*Bonnie Claire and Ubehebe Railroad 1906 Death Valley area
*California and Arizona Railroad Narrow Gauge 1870
*California Central Narrow Gauge Railway Benicia-Tehama-Red Bluff 1873-1874
*California Central Railroad 1881
*California Coast Line Railroad 1890
*California Eastern and Northern Railway 1917
*California Great Trunk of the Pacific and Atlantic Railroad San Francisco-Oroville 1857
*California, Idaho and Montana Railroad 1895 Butte, MT - San Francisco
*California Improvement Company 1890-1891
*California Inland Empire Railroad 1905-1907 Boise, ID - San Francisco
*California Midland Railroad (of 1902) 1902-1903
*California Midland Railroad (of 1892) 1892-1893
*Raton and Santa Cruz Railroad 1902 Raton, NM - Santa Cruz, CA
*Red Bluff and Fall River Railroad 1906 Red Bluff, CA
*Sacramento and Lake Tahoe Railroad 1905-1906
*San Luis and San Joaquin Railroad c. 1892
*San Luis Obispo Railroad/San Luis Obispo Railway

*Ygnacio Valley Railroad Electric Oakland-Antioch 1906
*Yreka and Scott Valley Railroad 1904-1905 Yreka-Scott Valley (Siskiyou County)
*Yucaipa and Oak Glen Railroad 1908 Standard or Narrow Gauge Electric Yucaipa-Redlands

References

*cite book | author=Fickewirth, Alvin A.| title=California Railroads| location=San Marino, California | publisher=Golden West Books| year=1992| editor=| id=ISBN 0-87095-106-8
*cite book | author=Robertson, Donald B.| title=Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California| location=Caldwell, ID | publisher=The Caxton Printers, Ltd | year=1998| editor=| id=ISBN 0-87004-385-4
* Association of American Railroads (2003), " [http://www.aar.org/PubCommon/Documents/AboutTheIndustry/RRState_CA.pdf Railroad Service in California] " (PDF). Retrieved May 25, 2005.
* Santa Fe Railroad (1945), "Along Your Way", Rand McNally, Chicago, Illinois.
*

ee also

*List of California interurban railroads