Lafayette Subdivision
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The Sunset Route is a main line of the
Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
running between
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
and
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. It is the southernmost
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
that connects the
central United States The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States, Eastern and Western United States, Western as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau's d ...
to the U.S. Pacific Coast.


History

The idea for this railroad dated before the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, as businessmen in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...
wanted a direct connection to the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. This was the rationale for the Gadsden Purchase. The name traces its origins to the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway, a
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
subsidiary which was known as the ''Sunset Route'' as early as 1874. The line was built by several different companies and largely consolidated under Southern Pacific, with completion at the
Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
in 1883. Its construction prompted a frog war at the Colton Crossing, where it intersects the Southern Transcon, then owned by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and now by
BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...
. The first trains departed for through service between
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and New Orleans on February 5, 1883. The Sunset Route previously extended northward from Los Angeles to
San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.


Description

The Sunset Route's western terminus officially begins about east of Los Angeles, in West Colton, California. Going eastward, the route immediately faces steep inclines of up to 1.9% as it reaches in elevation at Beaumont Hill, near
Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
. It then turns southeast, quickly dropping to below
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
at Wister, California on the landlocked Salton Sea. The route rises to in elevation before dropping again as it goes through
Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...
, near the
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
borders and close to where the Gila River discharges into the Colorado River. It turns directly east to
Maricopa, Arizona Maricopa is a city in the Gila River Valley in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. With 66,290 residents as of 2022, Maricopa is the largest incorporated municipality in Pinal County. History Maricopa has had three locations over the years: ...
, at the southern edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area, before turning to the southeast again to
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
. Heading eastward again, the route rises to at
Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...
in southeast
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, drops to in San Simon, Arizona, and then crosses the Continental Divide at elevation at Wilna in southwest
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
before crossing into
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
at the Mexican border
metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
of El Paso. The Sunset Route is the lowest railway that crosses the Continental Divide. At El Paso, the Sunset Route splits off into the Golden State Route, which is another main line that Union Pacific acquired in the Southern Pacific merger that heads northeast to
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
and
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. The Sunset Route itself turns southeast past El Paso near the Rio Grande River within the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. At the town of Sierra Blanca, Texas, from El Paso, the Sunset Route meets the western end of the former Texas and Pacific main line, acquired by Union Pacific when it merged with Missouri Pacific, that goes east-northeast through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The Sunset Route continues heading roughly southeast within the Rio Grande watershed until it arrives at the Mexican border city of
Del Rio, Texas Del Rio (in Spanish language, Spanish, ''Del Río'', "from the river") is a city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, Val Verde County in southwestern Texas, United States. As of 2020 United States census, 2020, Del Rio had a popul ...
; at that point, the route turns directly east through
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
, the Gulf Coast metropolis of
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, and the eastern terminus of New Orleans, in southeast
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
on the Mississippi River Delta. Between San Antonio and New Orleans, the Sunset Route meets several other Union Pacific-controlled main lines and branch lines, of which many are directional running operations. BNSF shares ownership of the Lafayette Subdivision.


Usage

The line is primarily used for freight, especially of intermodal freight transport, due to its close proximity and rail connections to the Port of Los Angeles and
Port of Long Beach The Port of Long Beach, administered as the Harbor Department of the City of Long Beach, is a container port in the United States, which adjoins Port of Los Angeles. Acting as a major gateway for US–Asian trade, the port occupies of land wi ...
. In the 1980s, Southern Pacific pioneered the carrying of intermodal containers on double-stack trains on the Sunset Route. The route also moves finished automobiles, grain, and other non-intermodal freight. In 1998, the Los Angeles to El Paso section of the Sunset Route was hosting about 33 trains per day. By 2007, 45 trains daily were operating through
Maricopa, Arizona Maricopa is a city in the Gila River Valley in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. With 66,290 residents as of 2022, Maricopa is the largest incorporated municipality in Pinal County. History Maricopa has had three locations over the years: ...
, 55 daily trains were running in 2015, and 90 were projected after the full completion of the second track on the Los Angeles to El Paso section. However, by 2019 the number of daily trains between Los Angeles and El Paso had dropped to 39, and the section east of El Paso in the Trans-Pecos region was hosting 12 trains per day. In June 2024, the daily traffic in Wellton, Arizona was 28 trains (14 in each direction), of which a majority were intermodal freight trains, about a quarter were mixed freight trains, and 6% carried automobiles. The reduced number of trains were somewhat offset by increasingly large train lengths; several of the longest trains observed were at least in length. The
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
'' Sunset Limited'' operates three round-trips weekly over the entirety of the route, and the '' Texas Eagle'' from Chicago is attached between San Antonio and Los Angeles. In December 2023, the
Federal Railroad Administration The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce railroa ...
(FRA) announced a grant through its Corridor ID Program to increase the frequency of the ''Sunset Limited'' to full daily round-trip service. The program also issued grants to develop state-supported passenger routes between San Antonio and Houston, in the Phoenix–Tucson Corridor (using Sunset Route track between Picacho, Arizona and Tucson), and in the Coachella Valley Rail Corridor (using Sunset Route track between Colton, California and Coachella, California).


Western double-track project

When Southern Pacific Railroad merged with Union Pacific in 1996, the operating plan that was filed along with the merger application stipulated that one of the first major investments would be to double-track the Sunset Route between Los Angeles and El Paso. At the time of the merger, only about , or approximately 20% of the route, were double-tracked. However, the combined company's efforts to expand double-trackage between Los Angeles and El Paso were soon delayed in favor of more profitable investments on Union Pacific's pre-existing lines north of the Sunset Route to improve coal-hauling capacity or to better handle mixed-freight trains along the Central Corridor. Building on Southern Pacific's successful efforts in the 1980s to revive the Golden State Route from near disuse, the merged company invested hundreds of million US dollars more to make extra improvements to the Golden State Route, and it spent similar amounts to rehabilitate the Texas and Pacific line from similar inactivity. Because of these updates, daily traffic increased on the Texas and Pacific line from 2 trains in 1996 to 19 trains in 2004. Both lines funneled additional trains onto the Sunset Route's Los Angeles–El Paso section, which exacerbated the traffic meltdown that occurred there in 2003–2004 after Union Pacific underestimated the strong economic recovery from the early 2000s recession. Work to add the second track picked up in the mid-2000s, and by late 2007, Union Pacific was targeting the complete double-tracking of the Los Angeles–El Paso section by the end of 2010. By 2012, 72% of that section, or , would have two tracks, including the entire section between Tucson and El Paso. Union Pacific no longer provided a specific timeline for full completion of the second track, though. , the double-tracking project reached 80% completion. In 2024, Union Pacific announced the resumption of work to add the second main line on the remaining of single-track railway. The new trackage would allow for maximum speeds of for freight trains. It would incorporate concrete sleeper railroad ties, a track spacing of , and a rail weight of , which are Union Pacific's standards for tracks supporting heavy axle loads and for new double-track construction.


Subdivisions

The Union Pacific has divided the Sunset Route into these subdivisions for operational purposes: *Yuma Subdivision *Gila Subdivision *Lordsburg Subdivision *Valentine Subdivision *Sanderson Subdivision *Del Rio Subdivision *Glidden Subdivision *Houston Subdivision *Lafayette Subdivision * Terminal Subdivision


See also

* Central Corridor (Union Pacific Railroad) * Southern Transcon


References


Bibliography

* * * * {{refend Union Pacific Railroad lines Rail infrastructure in California Rail infrastructure in Arizona Rail infrastructure in New Mexico Rail infrastructure in Texas Rail infrastructure in Louisiana