By Railfan & Railroad Staff
FELTON, Calif. — A California railroad is fighting back against a proposal by a local government to force it to abandon about eight miles of track to prevent the operator from moving freight.
The owners of Roaring Camp Railroads, which includes Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway, said a proposal by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to force it to abandon its rail line for freight service is part of a wider plan to railbank a government-owned line and turn it into a trail.
Roaring Camp currently has the contract to provide freight service on the county-owned Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, which connects to its eight-mile Felton Branch. But some in the community would like to see the Santa Cruz line turned into a pedestrian trail. The scenic Santa Cruz line, which previously belonged to Southern Pacific and Union Pacific, runs right through Santa Cruz and along the coast.
County officials told the newspaper that they would be fine with the railroad still providing tourist trains on its own line. By forcing the railroad to abandon its own line for freight service though, it would be easier to get approval for railbanking of the government-owned line, which connects to it (and is its connection to the national rail network). But Roaring Camp’s CEO Melani Clark, said that would be a shortsighted move. She also noted that the county had previously convinced the railroad to not buy the Santa Cruz line from UP and was assured it would remain in service under government control.
“Make no mistake, the RTC’s proposal goes well beyond impacting Roaring Camp; the proposal is clearly part of a larger scheme that will have permanent and deeply negative impacts for our entire county,” Clark wrote. “Should the Felton Line be declared abandoned, Roaring Camp’s rail line will be the first domino to fall in a series of moves that would conclude with the abandonment of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (SCBRL) that runs the length of Santa Cruz County. Abandonment of the SCBRL will result in the permanent end to any possibility of passenger rail service for Santa Cruz County. The RTC’s potential aggressive action against Roaring Camp should serve as a major wake-up call for anyone who is interested in a future that includes both a rail and a trail system for our county. This isn’t just about Roaring Camp. It’s about our entire community and our future.”
The railroad is gathering support from other groups in the area as well, including a motorcar group, West Coast Railroaders Group. The railroad has also established a campaign and webpage to encourage the public to writer letters against the proposed abandonment.
A hearing about the forced abandonment proposal is expected next month.
