Roseville Subdivision

The Roseville Subdivision is a railway line in California and Nevada owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, as part of the Overland Route. It runs from Roseville, California over the Sierra Nevada to Reno, Nevada.[1] The route originated as the initial western segment of the first transcontinental railroad, but has since been upgraded, double tracked, or realigned in some locations. The line reaches an elevation of 6,887 feet (2,099 m) above sea level at Norden, California.[2]

Newcastle, freight trains at Main Street crossing

Roseville Subdivision
Nevada Subdivision Reno Industrial Lead V&T Reno Nevada California B&L Truckee LTRT original route mothballed 1993 Tunnel No. 41 Tunnel No. 6 NCNG Colfax Auburn Rocklin Valley Subdivision Martinez Subdivision

The route is primarily used for freight, but Amtrak operates passenger trains over the line. The California Zephyr runs the entire route while the Capitol Corridor terminates in Auburn, California with service to the south and west. As of 2003 the line sees 15 freight trains daily.[3]

Between 2002 and 2005, the right of way was depressed into a trench through Reno to eliminate the 11 level crossings in the downtown area.[4] By 2009 the line had been upgraded to allow the shipping of double-stacked containers in trains 9,000 feet (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) long.[5]