Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad

Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad is a shortline railroad located in Arizona, United States, serving the Clarkdale area primarily for freight operations.

The Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad occupies a line whose origins date to the early twentieth-century development of Arizona's Verde Valley mining and industrial economy. On November 17, 1911, the Verde Valley Railway was chartered as a non-operating subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Construction began on February 13, 1912, from Cedar Glade, west of Drake, toward Clarkdale. The completed line opened in 1913 after construction costs of approximately $1.286 million. Its principal purpose was to support the United Verde Mine at Jerome and to connect the mining district with the Santa Fe system. The Verde Valley Railway remained associated with Santa Fe for most of the line's early history. On December 31, 1942, the subsidiary was conveyed to the Santa Fe Railway by deed. The route subsequently functioned as a branch line serving the Verde Valley, with its importance evolving as mining, manufacturing, and bulk-material traffic changed over time. In 1989, the Santa Fe Railway sold the Clarkdale branch to David L. Durbano. The new private operation divided the corridor's commercial identity between two related services. Freight operations adopted the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad name and the AZCR reporting mark, while passenger excursions were developed as the Verde Canyon Railroad. Passenger service resumed in November 1990, giving the line a second role as a heritage and scenic attraction in addition to its freight function. The freight railroad connects with BNSF Railway's Phoenix Subdivision at Drake. The Drake Switching Company also operates a connection between BNSF and AZCR at that location. From Drake, the AZCR route runs about 37.8 miles to Clarkdale, passing through or near locations including Mack, Bear, Perkinsville, and Sycamore. The line follows the Verde River and runs between national forests near a designated wilderness area. Its physical features include numerous bridges and a tunnel approximately 680 feet long. In its modern freight role, AZCR serves Phoenix Cement Company. Reported annual traffic is about 1,500 cars, consisting of inbound coal, coke, lime, bauxite, and fly ash and outbound cement. This traffic profile makes the railroad a focused industrial short line whose value lies in reliable local service and interchange with the national rail network. The passenger operation associated with the same ownership has carried substantially more people than the freight railroad moves cars; the cited reference gives a figure of 100,000 Verde Canyon Railroad passengers in 2013. The locomotive fleet reflects both freight and excursion requirements. Reported AZCR equipment includes EMD GP7 and GP9 locomotives, two former Illinois Central Gulf Paducah-rebuilt GP26 units acquired from Cimarron Valley Railroad in 2019, and two EMD FP7 locomotives used for excursion trains. The FP7s were constructed in 1953 for the Alaska Railroad by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in La Grange, Illinois, and are described as two of only ten examples of the type still operating in North America. By spring 2025, the railroad was reported to be under contract for a sale. The transaction remained contingent on regulatory approval from the Federal Railroad Administration and the Surface Transportation Board, and the cited material did not establish whether the sale had closed. The available record therefore supports describing AZCR as an active privately operated short line, while leaving its post-transaction ownership unresolved.

1. 2025Sale reported as pending regulatory approval

   As of spring 2025, the railroad was reported to be under contract for sale, pending approval by the Federal Railroad Administration and Surface Transportation Board.

   Source
2. 2019GP26 locomotives acquired

   Two former Illinois Central Gulf Paducah-rebuilt GP26 locomotives were acquired from Cimarron Valley Railroad.

   Source
3. 1990Passenger excursions resumed

   Passenger service on the corridor resumed in November under the related Verde Canyon Railroad operation.

   Source
4. 1989Santa Fe sold the branch

   Santa Fe sold the Clarkdale branch to David L. Durbano, who established the freight operation under the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad name.

   Source
5. 1942Verde Valley Railway conveyed to Santa Fe

   The Verde Valley Railway was conveyed to the Santa Fe Railway by deed on December 31.

   Source
6. 1913Line completed

   Construction was completed on February 1, creating the rail link intended to support the United Verde Mine.

   Source
7. 1912Construction began

   Construction of the line from Cedar Glade toward Clarkdale began on February 13.

   Source
8. 1911Verde Valley Railway chartered

   Santa Fe chartered the Verde Valley Railway as a non-operating subsidiary to develop a branch serving the Verde Valley and United Verde Mine.

   Source

A regional short-line railroad combining industrial freight service with access to a historic and scenic Verde Valley rail corridor.

• AZCR freight railroadShort-line freight rail1989

  The core AZCR offering is local freight transportation over approximately 37.8 miles between Drake and Clarkdale. The railroad interchanges with BNSF Railway at Drake and provides specialized service for industrial traffic rather than broad intercity freight coverage. Its reported commodity mix includes inbound coal, coke, lime, bauxite, and fly ash and outbound cement.

• Verde Canyon RailroadScenic passenger excursion1990

  Verde Canyon Railroad is the related passenger excursion operation using the same historic corridor and ownership structure. Trains travel through Verde Canyon along the Verde River, passing bridges, forested terrain, wilderness-adjacent landscapes, and a long tunnel. The operation resumed passenger service in 1990 and is separate in market identity from AZCR's freight business.

• 2025Sale placed under regulatory reviewM&A

  The railroad was reported to have entered into a contract for sale while remaining subject to approvals from the Federal Railroad Administration and Surface Transportation Board.

  What changed. A transaction was pursued, but the available reference does not identify the buyer or confirm closing.

  Aftermath. Ownership after the proposed transaction remains unresolved in the cited material.

  Source
• 1989Create separate freight and excursion identitiesStrategy

  After acquiring the Clarkdale branch from Santa Fe, David L. Durbano operated the freight service as the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad and developed passenger excursions as Verde Canyon Railroad.

  What changed. The corridor was organized around two complementary businesses: industrial freight under the AZCR brand and scenic passenger service under the Verde Canyon Railroad brand.

  Aftermath. Passenger service resumed in November 1990, while AZCR continued as a regional industrial short line.

  Source

• 2025Arizona Central Railroad reported under contract for sale

  The railroad was reported to be under contract to be sold, with completion dependent on approval from the Federal Railroad Administration and the Surface Transportation Board. The proposed buyer was not identified in the cited material.

  M&A
  Source

1. Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad
2. The Western Group