An interesting major rail improvement project is taking place in Reno, Nevada. It is an out-growth of the 1996 merger of the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. This project is lowering Union Pacific’s “Overland Route” mainline tracks through the city. The 282 million dollar project’s official name is; “The Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor” or ReTRAC.
The ReTRAC Project is constructing a 2.3 mile long trench 33 feet below street level between Sutro Street on the east and Second Street on the west. This corridor once completed will contain two mainline tracks and a service road on the south side of the trench.
The ReTRAC Project is being constructed to standards permitting maximum train speeds of 60 miles per hour, and the re-construction of 11 street crossings built as street “bridges” across the top of the depressed trench.
Once completed there will be no turnouts or connections to other tracks within the project area except for the Reno Branch connection. Prior to cutting Union Pacific’s existing mainline tracks for construction of the trench portion of the ReTRAC Project, a “shoo-fly” track to serve as a temporary bypass route for trains during the construction has been constructed adjacent to the project.
The City of Reno will own Union Pacific’s current right-of-way along the 2.3 mile corridor. Amtrak’s station stop will be at the present site of the depot but, the station’s platform will be in the trench 33 feet below street level.
Granite Construction the general contractor on ReTRAC has pushed the project along so that it is now ahead of schedule, it is also under budget. An official of Granite stated a month ago or so; “Trains in the Trench by Thanksgiving 2005.”
I thought some on the Trains Board might like a look at this project as it is today 6 March 2005.
I thought some might enjoy a photo tour of the project. This first view is looking west from Keystone Ave - photo taken 3-6-05.
Looking east towards Sparks from N. Center Street. Amtrak’s unused depot is on the right and the National bowling stadium on the left - photo taken 3-6-05.
An interesting project. Love to hear those words “Ahead of schedule and under budget”
Great pics on the shoo-fly. Do you suppose it could be left in and used occasionally as a gesture to railfans? [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]
I find this to be very similiar to the BNSF/UP joint project in LA. This seems to be a trendy way to seperate road and rail yet preserve the route. Does anyone know of anymore projects like this??? Would like some more pics!!! (after completion too!) [^][wow]
I don’t remember exactly where it is, last time I went to San Diego (1999?) I noticed the Surf Line was in a trench through one of the cities between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Both the Milwaukee, and the Hill Lines here in MSP all put their tracks down in trenches back in the “old days” …now some are turning into bike trails. I don’t think that Reno project will be a bike trail anytime soon!
Thanks for posting those pix.
I stayed in the Golden Pheonix last month and my room was ne corner 17th floor(i think). while I was there I walked up to the Amtrak depot. The crews were working right through the night. This is quite a project, and a needed one.
As I understand it, the Golden Pheonix is where Amtrak houses their out of town crews. Lawton, NV is about half way between the Amtrak station and Verdi, there is a cross over there and during Espee days the Truckee help would pick up a train there.
I didn’t see any Amtrak empoyees while I was there, But there shure were a lot of airline crews.
When I was still in high school (mid eightys) I lived in Alturas on the Modoc line. I would go to reno often. I would always check out the SP yard, and if I had time I would railfan between Reno and Boomtown. I have many pictures of this area taken in all kinds of weather conditions. Back then that was one of my favorite railfanning locations. But as I expanded my horizons and found more and better locations, I would go to this area less and less. The few times I did get to that area in the early 90s it seemed like traffic levels had fallen to the point that I would have better chances of seeing trains on the UP up around Doyle. I would travel between LA and Alturas on 395 to visit my family quite often during the 90s. Twards the later 90s I started to favor going over to 95 at bishop (via 6) and through Hawthorne-Fallon-Wadsworth-Gerlach. I like that route a lot better for 2 reasons. One is you can make much better time with the higher speed limits; the other is I like railfanning the Hazen and Gerlach areas. I even caught the Thorne turn a couple times. One of those times the power was a set of DRGW GP30s. That was a catch.
Well in 1999 I moved up to the Columbia river george in Washington, about 40mi from Vancouver. I lived there untill a year and a half ago. During this time I didn’t get to the reno area that offten, but still managed to go over donner every year of two. For the last year or so I was back in Alturas (watching A&K salvage scrap the Modoc line). Now I am back in southern California and will be able to railfan the Reno area a lot more offten on family visits(my family still lives in Modoc).
I hope after the trench project is complete traffic levels will go up substantialy. When that happens I will surely railfan that area a lot more offten, Although I’ll never get over loosing the SP. Oh well, better the borg than no trains at all.
I didn’t see any Amtrak empoyees while I was there, But there shure were a lot of airline crews.
When I was still in high school (mid eightys) I lived in Alturas on the Modoc line. I would go to reno often. I would always check out the SP yard, and if I had time I would railfan between Reno and Boomtown. I have many pictures of this area taken in all kinds of weather conditions. Back then that was one of my favorite railfanning locations. But as I expanded my horizons and found more and better locations, I would go to this area less and less. The few times I did get to that area in the early 90s it seemed like traffic levels had fallen to the point that I would have better chances of seeing trains on the UP up around Doyle. I would travel between LA and Alturas on 395 to visit my family quite often during the 90s. Twards the later 90s I started to favor going over to 95 at bishop (via 6) and through Hawthorne-Fallon-Wadsworth-Gerlach. I like that route a lot better for 2 reasons. One is you can make much better time with the higher speed limits; the other is I like railfanning the Hazen and Gerlach areas. I even caught the Thorne turn a couple times. One of those times the power was a set of DRGW GP30s. That was a catch.
Well in 1999 I moved up to the Columbia river george in Washington, about 40mi from Vancouver. I lived there untill a year and a half ago. During this time I didn’t get to the reno area that offten, but still managed to go over donner every year of two. For the last year or so I was back in Alturas (watching A&K salvage scrap the Modoc line). Now I am back in southern California and will be able to railfan the Reno area a lot more offten on family visits(my family still lives in Modoc).
I hope after the trench project is complete traffic levels will go up substantialy. When that happens I will surely railfan that area a lot more offten, Although I’ll never get over loosing the SP. Oh well, better the bo
