San Joaquin Valley Railroad
A Genesee & Wyoming short-line freight railroad serving agricultural and industrial customers in California's Central Valley.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
San Joaquin Valley Railroad, commonly identified by the reporting mark SJVR, is a short-line freight railroad operating in California's Central Valley and San Joaquin Valley. It forms part of the Western Region Division of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., a large owner and operator of regional and short-line railroads. SJVR primarily serves communities and industrial sites around Fresno and Bakersfield, with a network made up of owned and leased routes and rights to operate over portions of Union Pacific infrastructure. The railroad was created on January 1, 1992, after Southern Pacific made several branch lines available for short-line operation. At formation, the operation involved three related legal entities: the San Joaquin Valley Railroad itself, the Tulare Valley Railroad, and the Port Railroad. The network incorporated former Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe routes, many of which had historically connected agricultural communities, processing facilities, lumber interests, and oil-producing areas to larger national rail systems. SJVR's network has changed substantially since its creation. Some lightly used routes were abandoned, embargoed, or physically removed, while other corridors were retained because they continued to serve shippers or provided strategic connections between major railroads. The railroad's current and recent system has included routes linking Fresno with Exeter, Strathmore, Goshen Junction, Hanford, Huron, Clovis, and the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as lines and connecting segments around Bakersfield, Famoso, Oil Junction, Landco, Buttonwillow, Millux, and Arvin. The company also holds or has held trackage rights over Union Pacific between Fresno, Goshen Junction, and the Bakersfield area. Interchange is an important part of SJVR's business model. The railroad connects with BNSF Railway at Fresno and Bakersfield and with Union Pacific at Fresno, Goshen Junction, and Bakersfield. These connections allow locally generated traffic to move beyond SJVR's own lines into national rail networks. The railroad's principal freight categories are petroleum gas and agricultural products, reflecting the economic profile of the Central Valley. Historical traffic figures cited for 2008 indicate approximately 39,000 carloads, although a current traffic figure is not established here. SJVR is an infrastructure and logistics service rather than a consumer-facing product brand. Its value proposition is based on first- and last-mile rail access, local switching, car handling, interchange with Class I railroads, and the movement of bulk and agricultural commodities. The railroad operates a fleet that has included EMD GP15-1, GP40-2, GP38, GP38-2, and SE24B locomotives. The railroad is also notable for its surviving hybridized wigwag grade-crossing signals in Fresno. These pendulum-style signals were historically common in California but have become extremely rare. SJVR's remaining examples combine historic signal structures with modern flashing lights and crossbucks. Their condition and survival have varied over time, and individual signals have been removed or altered. SJVR remains an active short-line railroad within the Genesee & Wyoming family. Its role is primarily regional: serving shippers that need access to the national rail system while maintaining and operating lower-density branch lines that may not fit the operating model of a large Class I railroad.
History
The present San Joaquin Valley Railroad was established on January 1, 1992, to operate branch lines that had previously been part of Southern Pacific's California network. The new short-line operation was organized through several related entities, including SJVR, the Tulare Valley Railroad, and the Port Railroad. These entities acquired or operated segments originating from both Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, creating a dispersed system serving the agricultural and industrial economy of the Central Valley. Southern Pacific's former West Side Line was one of the most important historical components of the network. The route had once extended north toward Tracy and south through communities on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley before reaching the Fresno area. Southern Pacific built major portions of the line in the late nineteenth century, and passenger services once operated over the route between the San Francisco and Los Angeles regions. The northern section later passed to another operator, while SJVR retained the southern section between the Oxalis area and Fresno. A section between Los Banos and Oxalis was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1993 and subsequently dismantled. The ownership history of SJVR followed the consolidation of the American short-line railroad sector. From 1992 through 1997, the railroad was owned by Kyle Railways. Kyle was sold to States Rail in 1997, and States Rail was acquired by RailAmerica in 2002. Genesee & Wyoming controlled RailAmerica in 2012, and SJVR subsequently continued as one of Genesee & Wyoming's regional short-line properties. The railroad's system has included multiple subdivisions and branches around Fresno, Exeter, Goshen Junction, Hanford, Huron, Clovis, Famoso, and Bakersfield. Its Fresno-area routes include former Southern Pacific lines toward Exeter, Goshen Junction, Hanford, Huron, and the west side of the valley, together with former Santa Fe and Southern Pacific trackage on the Clovis route. Around Bakersfield, SJVR-operated segments have included connections through Oil Junction, Landco, Buttonwillow, Millux, and Arvin. The railroad also has had trackage rights over Union Pacific between Fresno and the Bakersfield area. Several parts of the historic system were reduced as traffic declined or operating economics changed. The former Visalia District, which connected locations including Calwa, Corcoran, Visalia, Tulare, and Cutler, lost service on several sections during the 1990s, and much of the track was removed. The Porterville-Orosi District similarly contracted after the loss of most customers; the remaining Exeter–Lindsay portion was retained primarily for limited use and car storage, while other segments were abandoned or dismantled. The Clovis Branch also originated in an earlier lumber-oriented railway system. The Minarets and Western Railway built a route in 1921 to support timber movement, but the northern portion disappeared after the lumber company failed during the Great Depression. Later, Southern Pacific acquired portions of the surviving infrastructure, which eventually became part of SJVR's Clovis operations. In 2008, the Surface Transportation Board approved abandonment of the Strathmore–Jovista segment. Track removal affected communities including Strathmore, Porterville, Terra Bella, Ducor, and Richgrove. Tulare County explored acquisition and preservation of the route, while later passenger-rail proposals contemplated upgrading or rebuilding portions of the corridor. In 2015, SJVR embargoed the Exeter–Lindsay segment, with the line subject to further regulatory and redevelopment discussions. SJVR's freight base has historically centered on agricultural products and petroleum gas. In 2008, the railroad was reported to have handled approximately 39,000 carloads. Its interchange relationships with BNSF Railway and Union Pacific remain central to the movement of traffic beyond the local network. As a Genesee & Wyoming short line, SJVR continues to provide local freight service, switching, and connection to national rail systems in the Central Valley. The railroad also preserves an unusual remnant of California railroad technology: hybridized wigwag crossing signals in Fresno. These devices use a pendulum-like moving target and red light, supplemented by modern crossing equipment. Their number has declined as equipment has been damaged, removed, or replaced, but surviving examples remain associated with the SJVR-operated network.
- 2015
Exeter–Lindsay segment embargoed
[1]SJVR embargoed the line while the route's future, formal abandonment, and possible passenger-rail reuse remained under discussion.
- 2012
SJVR becomes part of Genesee & Wyoming's railroad family
[1]Genesee & Wyoming controlled RailAmerica in December, placing SJVR within the Genesee & Wyoming group.
- 2008
Strathmore–Jovista abandonment approved
[1]The Surface Transportation Board approved abandonment of the Strathmore–Jovista segment, followed by removal of the track.
- 2002
RailAmerica acquires States Rail
[1]The acquisition transferred SJVR into RailAmerica's short-line railroad portfolio.
- 1997
Kyle Railways ownership changes
[1]Kyle Railways, SJVR's owner at the time, was sold to States Rail.
- 1996
Port Railroad merged into SJVR
[1]Port Railroads, Inc. was merged into the San Joaquin Valley Railroad, consolidating operations associated with the southern portion of the former West Side Line.
- 1993
Los Banos–Oxalis section abandoned
[1]Southern Pacific abandoned the section between Los Banos and Oxalis, and the track was later removed.
- 1992
Present SJVR begins operations
[1]The current San Joaquin Valley Railroad was created on January 1 to operate former Southern Pacific branch lines and related properties.
- 1892
Second predecessor railroad operates near Fresno
[1]Another earlier railroad with the same name operated between Fresno and Friant from 1892 to 1893 before being sold after foreclosure.
- 1868
Earlier San Joaquin Valley Railroad incorporated
[1]A different railroad using the San Joaquin Valley Railroad name was incorporated by Leland Stanford and associates to build a line from Lathrop toward the Stanislaus River. It was consolidated into Central Pacific in 1870 and is not the present SJVR.
Products and positioning
A regional short-line railroad focused on connecting Central Valley agricultural and industrial shippers with BNSF Railway and Union Pacific.
Rail freight · 1992
Agricultural freight service
SJVR transports agricultural commodities generated in California's Central Valley. The service links local farms, processors, storage facilities, and other shippers with BNSF Railway and Union Pacific, allowing regional cargo to enter broader national rail networks.
Rail freight · 1992
Petroleum gas freight service
Petroleum gas is one of the railroad's principal historical traffic categories. SJVR provides the local movement, switching, and interchange functions required to connect petroleum-related shipments in the Central Valley and Bakersfield areas with connecting Class I railroads.
Rail logistics · 1992
Local switching and interchange
The railroad offers short-line operating services such as local switching, railcar handling, route access, and interchange. Its connections with BNSF at Fresno and Bakersfield and Union Pacific at Fresno, Goshen Junction, and Bakersfield extend the practical reach of its local network.
Rail infrastructure · 1992
Central Valley branch-line access
SJVR operates a dispersed collection of owned or leased lines around Fresno and Bakersfield, including routes toward Exeter, Goshen Junction, Hanford, Huron, Clovis, Famoso, Buttonwillow, Millux, and Arvin. Availability varies by subdivision and by the status of individual segments.
Brand decisions
2015
Embargo the Exeter–Lindsay segmentStrategyBackground
The segment had limited use and faced questions about its long-term operating and regulatory status.
Action taken
SJVR placed the line under embargo while formal abandonment and possible passenger-rail redevelopment were considered.
Aftermath
The corridor remained associated with proposals to improve or rebuild service toward Lindsay and Porterville, while the retained Exeter–Lindsay track was reported as being used mainly for car storage.
2008
Proceed with abandonment of the Strathmore–Jovista segmentOtherBackground
The route had become difficult to sustain as an operating railroad, and the Surface Transportation Board reviewed the proposed discontinuance.
Action taken
The Surface Transportation Board approved abandonment, after which the track was removed and rail service ended for several communities.
Aftermath
Tulare County explored preservation and possible future reuse, while later passenger-rail concepts considered restoring portions of the corridor.
Sources2 sources
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