California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter XIV – Introduction
CHAPTER XIV
INTRODUCTION
Railroads have moved freight in the Golden State for almost 150 years. From the
1850s to the present, they have served shippers of thousands of commodities in
virtually all parts of the State, and have linked California with the rest of the nation.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a broad overview of freight rail operations
and associated commerce, business, and institutional issues in California.
There are 30 freight railroads in California, which own 5,701 miles of track.
The Union Pacific Railroad (UP) owns the largest portion of the rail lines with
2,789 miles of track or 49 percent of the total miles. The BNSF Railway (BNSF)
owns 1,215 miles of track or 21 percent. The remaining 30 percent are owned by
regional and short line railroads. More than 64 million tons of freight rail traffic
originated in the State in 2003. Freight rail traffic that terminated in California was
even higher, at over 98 million tons. These figures point to the State’s role as a
major user/producer of import and export rail-borne commodities that impact the
rest of the United States. The California State Rail Plan 2005-06 – 2015-16
(State Rail Plan) points out the magnitude of California’s industrial and consumer
market dependence on the freight railroads. The State Rail Plan presents the status
and importance of freight railroads in California as well as a discussion of the
major issues facing the railroads in the State.
MAJOR FREIGHT RAILROADS
The two Class I railroads in California 1 , UP and BNSF, move the majority of rail
freight. These railroads have large networks that connect California with important
rail hubs such as Chicago, Kansas City, and New Orleans, as well as routes running
the length of California, linking the Pacific Northwest with the Los Angeles area.
Many of the routes in California are the products of railroad combinations or
mergers, involving some of the most historic names in California rail history.
Figure 14A is a map of the UP and BNSF rail systems in California.
1 There are three classes of railroads in the United States: Class I railroads having an annual operation revenue greater
than $258.5 million, Class II or regional railroads having an annual operating revenue between $40 million and
$258.5 million, and Class III or local railroads commonly known as “short lines” having annual operating revenues
of less that $40 million.
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