Fresno Subdivision

{{Short description|California railroad route}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Fresno Subdivision}} The '''Fresno Subdivision''' is a [[railroad]] in [[California]] owned and operated by the [[Union Pacific Railroad]]. Mostly built by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]] in the 1870s, the line traverses the [[San Joaquin Valley]] on a northwest to southeast alignment.

==Route== [[File:Stockton Cabral 2328 01.JPG|thumb|The Fresno Subdivision runs past the [[Robert J. Cabral Station|Stockton passenger station]], 2012]] The Fresno Subdivision runs from [[Sacramento, California]] through the centers of several cities in the eastern [[San Joaquin Valley]] to [[Bakersfield, California]].<ref name=schematics>{{CA rail schematics}}</ref> From its interchange with the [[Martinez Subdivision]] in the north, it runs south through [[Elk Grove, California|Elk Grove]], [[Lodi, California|Lodi]],<ref name=schematics /> [[Stockton, California|Stockton]],<ref name=Goldeen /> [[Manteca, California|Manteca]],<ref name=Wyatt /> [[Modesto, California|Modesto]], [[Merced, California|Merced]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Luczak |first1=Marybeth |title=ACE Ceres-Merced Extension Project Advances |url=https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/commuterregional/ace-ceres-merced-extension-project-advances/?RAchannel=news |access-date=11 September 2023 |agency=Railway Age |date=December 6, 2021}}</ref> and [[Madera, California|Madera]] before entering Fresno. The line intersects with the [[BNSF Railway]] [[Stockton Subdivision]] at Stockton, forming the [[Stockton Diamond]].<ref name=Goldeen>{{cite news |last1=Goldeen |first1=Joe |title=Feds chip in $20M for major Stockton railroad project |url=https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2020/09/20/stockton-rail-project-awarded-20-m-federal-grant/5846852002/ |accessdate=11 October 2020 |agency=The Record |date=20 September 2020}}</ref> It largely parallels the [[BNSF Railway]] [[Stockton Subdivision]] and [[California State Route 99]].

==Operations== The line is primarily used for freight movements. {{as of|2003}} a total of 16 trains daily operated between Fresno and Stockton, with 12 operating between Stockton and Sacramento.<ref>{{cite map |title=Union Pacific Tons per Train |url=https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/union-pacific-tonnage-map.pdf |access-date=11 September 2023 |publisher=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] |date=2003}}</ref> The [[San Joaquin Valley Railroad]] has [[trackage rights]] over the line south of Fresno.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

[[Amtrak]] and the [[Altamont Corridor Express]] operate passenger trains over the northern segment of line. Altamont Corridor Express is also expanding its service area, with new stations along the line planned as far south as Merced.<ref name=Wyatt>{{cite news |last1=Wyatt |first1=Dennis |title=LINKING ACE WITH VALLEY LINK IN NORTH LATHROP |url=https://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/local-news/linking-ace-valley-link-north-lathrop/ |access-date=7 September 2023 |agency=Manteca Bulletin |date=April 14, 2022}}</ref>

==History== The line was largely built by the Southern Pacific Railway in the late 1800s. The tracks between Sacramento and Lathrop run on the route of the original [[Central Pacific Railroad]]. The branch line from Lathrop reached Goshen in August 1872, Delano in July the following year, and had extended past Bakersfield to Caliente in 1875.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Daggett |first1=Stuart |title=Chapters on the History of the Southern Pacific |date=1922 |publisher=Ronald Press Company |location=New York |page=126 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sFcGAAAAMAAJ}}</ref> The merger of Southern Pacific and Union Pacific in 1996 brought the line under its current ownership.

{{convert|10|mi|spell=In}} of the line between Ceres and Turlock is expected to be [[double track railway|double-tracked]] as part of the Altamont Corridor Express expansion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Luczak |first1=Marybeth |title=Transit Briefs: Caltrain, Metro-North, SJRRC, VIA Rail |url=https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/transit-briefs-caltrain-metro-north-sjrrc-via-rail/ |access-date=10 September 2023 |agency=Railway Age |date=July 12, 2023}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category inline}} {{Attached KML |display=title,inline}}

[[Category:Rail lines in California]] [[Category:Southern Pacific Railroad lines]] [[Category:Union Pacific Railroad lines]]