Phoenix Subdivision (Union Pacific Railroad)

Phoenix Subdivision
UP Phoenix Yard at Sunset in March 2024 with Chase Field in the background
Overview
OwnerUnion Pacific Railroad
LocaleArizona
Termini
Connecting lines
Websitehttps://www.up.com/
Service
TypeInter-city rail
Freight rail
Operator(s)Union Pacific Railroad
History
Completed1928
Technical
Number of tracks1
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Map
🔴 Phoenix Subdivision (UP) ⚫ Inactive Portion 🔵 Gila Subdivision 🟠 Phoenix Subdivision (BNSF)
Roll Industrial Lead
Roll Industrial Lead
Phoenix Subdivision
(West Phoenix industrial spurs)
Salt River Spur
Phoenix Yard & Intermodal Terminal
Tempe
Tempe Industrial Lead
Chandler Industrial Lead
Coolidge

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]: 15 

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]: 15 

On October 9th 1995, Saboteurs intentionally derailed the Sunset Limited in an event known as the 1995 Palo Verde Arizona Derailment. The perpetrators have never been caught.

Amtrak ran the Sunset Limited on the route until June 1996[2]: 15  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]

  1. ^ Bourque, Scott (September 23, 2019). "Q&AZ: What Happened To The Railroad Line West Of Phoenix?". KJZZ 91.5. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference WelltonBranch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ 2018 Regional Commuter Rail System Study Update (PDF), Maricopa Association of Governments, May 2018, p. 2-45, archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2023
  4. ^ Johnston, Bob (February 27, 2024). "FRA releases long-distance study interim report, invites comments". Trains. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Bourque, Scott (September 23, 2019). "Q&AZ: What Happened To The Railroad Line West Of Phoenix?". KJZZ. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.

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