Phoenix_Subdivision_(Union_Pacific_Railroad)

Phoenix Subdivision (Union Pacific Railroad)

Phoenix Subdivision (Union Pacific Railroad)

Railroad line in Arizona

For the similarly named BNSF line, see Phoenix Subdivision (BNSF Railway).

The Phoenix Subdivision is a railroad line in the U.S. state of Arizona owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. The southeast end of the line connects to the Gila Subdivision near Eloy, runs northeast to Phoenix, and becomes the Roll Industrial Lead, running southwest before reconnecting to the Gila Subdivision at Wellton.[1] As of 2010, eighty miles (130 km) of the line between Roll and Arlington are out of service and used for car storage.[2]

🔴 Phoenix Subdivision (UP) ⚫ Inactive Portion 🔵 Gila Subdivision 🟠 Phoenix Subdivision (BNSF)
Phoenix Subdivision
Legend
Roll Industrial Lead
Gila River
Roll Industrial Lead
Phoenix Subdivision
to Palo Verde
BNSF Phoenix Subdivision
Phoenix
Valley Metro Rail
PHX Sky Train
Valley Metro Rail
Salt River
Tempe
Tempe Industrial Lead
Chandler Industrial Lead
Magma Arizona Railroad
Copper Basin Railway
Coolidge
Gila Subdivision

Usage

The railway is used by almost exclusively for freight movements, with about four trains per day as of May 2018.[3] The McElhaney Cattle Company maintains trackage rights over the western six miles (9.7 km) of the line, with traffic consisting of grain cars.[2]

Amtrak ran the Sunset Limited on the route until 1996 when Union Pacific wanted to reduce upkeep costs on the west end of the line; passenger service was rerouted to Maricopa.[4] The line is part of a system of proposed commuter rail lines in the Phoenix metropolitan area and could be reopened to support that.[5]

On October 9th, the 1995 Palo Verde Arizona Derailment was an intententional derailment of the Sunset Limited by saboteurs. They have never been caught.

History

The rail line between Wellton and Phoenix was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad, with passenger service commencing in 1928.[2] The line was downgraded to a branch line in 1997, as most traffic was rerouted via Maricopa.[2]

Phoenix Intermodal Terminal

Phoenix Intermodal Terminal was announced in November 2023,[6][7] and operation began on February 1, 2024.[8] The facility is located in UP's Phoenix Yard and will serve shipments coming from the Port of Los Angeles.[9]

References

  1. [1]
    Bourque, Scott (September 23, 2019). "Q&AZ: What Happened To The Railroad Line West Of Phoenix?". KJZZ 91.5. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. [2]
    "Wellton Branch Railroad Line" (PDF). Maricopa Association of Governments. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. [3]
    2018 Regional Commuter Rail System Study Update (PDF), Maricopa Association of Governments, May 2018, p. 2-45
  4. [4]
    Johnston, Bob (2024-02-27). "FRA releases long-distance study interim report, invites comments". Trains. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  5. [5]
    Bourque, Scott (2019-09-23). "Q&AZ: What Happened To The Railroad Line West Of Phoenix?". KJZZ. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  6. [6]
    Stephens, Bill (2023-12-08). "Union Pacific to open new international intermodal terminal in Phoenix". Trains. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  7. [7]
    Jensen, Audrey (1 December 2023). "Union Pacific intermodal railyard in Phoenix sets opening date in 2024". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  8. [8]
    "Union Pacific opens Phoenix intermodal facility". Trains. 2024-02-08. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  9. [9]
    "Phoenix Intermodal Terminal". Union Pacific. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
Stub icon

This United States rail–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Phoenix_Subdivision_(Union_Pacific_Railroad), and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.