The original Union Pacific exit from Los Angeles was built by the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake railroad, and became part of the Union Pacific system in the 1920s. The well-engineered line has stretches of single track and stretches of two main tracks, with the occasional siding for trains to pass on the single-track sections. The line is operated by Centralized Traffic Control (CTC).
The route is divided into the following subdivisions:
· UP Los Angeles subdivision from Los Angeles (CP East Redondo) to West Riverside Junction
Mileposts are from Los Angeles, with zero being the site of the original station at 4th Street. Dispatching in Southern California is carried out from a joint UP/BNSF Dispatching Center in San Bernardino, CA. This line is the subject of intense study and construction of grade separations as the “Alameda Corridor East”; between 2003 and perhaps 2010 many existing grade crossings could be replaced with over/under passes.
The UP Los Angeles line starts at a wye on the east side of the Los Angeles River just north of Washington Boulevard, with one leg of the wye (owned by Metrolink) coming from the Metrolink Ninth Street control point (on the Metrolink River Subdivision, East Bank Line) and the other from CP East Redondo (MP 1.6) on the line coming across the LA River from the Alameda Corridor. These two legs of the wye cross Soto Street on individual bridges and join at Soto Street Junction (MP 2.1). Both legs of the wye have two main tracks, combining to form three main tracks eastward, past the Soto Street Passing Track, with spurs on the north side for Cal Ink, Case Paper, US Envelope, and Garden Prints, with many vacant spurs, and spurs on the south side for Cereal Food Processors, Poly Pak, and BLT Recycling, then a spur on the north side for Sherwin Williams and a vacant spur, and a signal bridge for crossovers at MP 2.68 and MP 2.69, to Downey Road (MP 2.8) and Weeds (MP 3.8).
Wye tracks heading south between the latter two points combine into a line southward that crosses the Santa Fe at Hobart Tower and heads to the Los Angeles-Long Beach harbor area. East of the wye, East Yard, once the sole UP yard in the central Los Angeles area, extends, first six tracks deep, and then two sets of eight tracks deep with the four track engine house and the bad order and RIP tracks beyond it, along the south side of the two main tracks, with sidings on the north side for Maintenance of Way (two)Pozzolanic, Centennial Mills and DExxom Chemical Americas, with an Industrial Lead north of them serving spurs for Western Chamical, Pozzolanic, Paper, Centennial Mills, Food Express, ADM Milling, Globe Tire, Golden Peanut Company, Davis Colors and Dorsett & Jackson, with several vacant spurs, and then in City of Commerce, spurs for Zellerbach/Stationers, Dart Warehouse (partially shared by Pacific Railroad Society), Van Waters & Rogers, and Sealright Pacific.
Beyond the industries, the line passes a spur for Hickory Springs on the north side, under the Long Beach Freeway (I-710)—in the middle of the yard—and the Triggs Lead on the north side, and then crosses I-5 and Atlantic Boulevard on bridges at the far east end of the yard, where there is another signal bridge, as far as East Los Angeles (MP 5.6), where there are crossovers at MP 5.6 and MP 5.9. Just east of the Atlantic Boulevard bridge, in the vicinity of the East Los Angeles signals, the one time East Los Angeles passenger station still exists on the north side of the line. A stretch of four main tracks ensues, past spurs on the south side for Westlectric Casting, Pacific Tube, R&D Latex/Uniroyal, Owens Corning Fiberglass, General Electric, Foremost Dairy and Louisiana Pacific, with the Industriasl Lead trailing in on the south side, and spurs on the north side for Conex/Iseco/NSD Warehouse, Horizon Milling, Winkler Plastics, SCIF Portfolio III and Mission Food, with the main tracks reducing to two at crossovers at MP 7.26 and Garfield Avenue (MP 7.4), which is also crossed on a bridge.
There are signals at Vail Avenue (MP 7.6), before reaching the Metrolink station at Montebello-Commerce (MP 8.1). This has platforms serving both main tracks, with a large parking lot on the south side of the tracks. There are detectors at MP 8.3, and grade crossings of Vail Avenue, Maple Avenue (with a spur to industry on the north side of the tracks), Greenwood Avenue, and Montebello Boulevard, with more rail-served lineside industry (Fleischmann Vinegar/Nabisco) on the south side, east of the latter. There are signals at East Montebello (MP 8.6), Bluff Road crosses overhead on a bridge, the line crosses the Rio Hondo on a girder bridge, passes spurs on the south side that are half vacant and half serve an auto facility, crosses over Whittier Boulevard on another girder bridge, and then over Paramount Boulevard and Rosemead Boulevard on similar bridges, and passes the Pico Rivera Team Track and a spur for American West/Desert Transport & Storage/Cordovan & Grey/DC Amiecan, both on the south side, and signals at Pico Rivera (MP 10.9).
Durfee Avenue is crossed at grade. There are more signals at the former location of Whittier Junction, where the UP Anaheim Branch once departed to the southeast, the line, now just a single track, curves to the northeast and crosses the San Gabriel River with construction evident for a second track bridge, in January, 2008, then joins with a former Southern Pacific branch alongside the San Gabriel River at Bartolo (MP 11.4) to form two main tracks again, with a crossover at MP 11.6. The line passes under Beverly Boulevard just before reaching the actual junction at Bartolo, but after the tracks have come alongside one another.
Passing between a small housing area and I-605, the tracks then pass under the latter, with a spur on the north side for Shepard Machinery, cross Rose Hill Road and Mission Mill Road at grade, pass a spur on the north side for Kilsby Roberts Tubing, over Peck Road on a bridge, pass a spur on the north side and spurs on the south side for WWF Paper and Consolidated Cover, cross Workman Mill Road at grade, pass under R-oute 60 and Crossroads Parkway in quick succession and turn east into City of Industry. There is a detector on both tracks at MP 14.8. The line runs along the south side of Walnut Creek for a little way, with the Hacienda Hills to the south. City of Industry, once past a small residential area at the west end, is entirely composed of light industry and warehouses, some dating to the 1950s or earlier at the west end, some still under construction towards the east end, nearing Pomona.
The line passes spurs on the north side for Sterlite, Ronnie P, Centennial Foam, Plaxicon, and Adamant Enterprise, and on the south side for Red Ball Express and Durnel Distributors, passes over Seventh Street on a bridge, passes signals at City of Industry (MP 16.9), start of a passing track on the north side, from which the Wilson Lead, on the north side, serves spurs for Southern California Plastics, Chemical Lime Company and Quemetco Industries, crossing San Jose Creek to serve spurs for Massey Furguson, Wilsey Foods, Dubois Chemical, and Quenel/Stearns Foster, HH Robertson, Whitestone Products, Case Power Equipment, El Ray Foods, Aerosol Service, Wilson Lease, Pacific Cold Storage, Royal Industries, Bentley Mills, Trinet Essential Facilities, and the US Post Office, General Battery/Owens Illinois, Hoover University, A&E Plastiic Pak, LA Victoria Foods, Macklin, Ring Property development, National Card, Golden State Foods, and Junior Steel, and passes the former UP City of Industry depot (now in use as ??) which lies on the south side of the tracks, with spurs to its south for Charcoal Unlimited and Hills Brothers Chemical.
The line crosses Turnbull Canyon Avenue at grade, passing spurs on the north side for AI Delivery and on the south side for FMC Industrial Chemical, and passes over Hacienda Boulevard on a bridge, then crosses Stimson Avenue at grade. At the crossovers at Puente Junction, MP18.3, a line curves away to the north to head for the former SP City of Industry Yard. This former SP line, in conjunction with the former SP line south from Bartolo, forms the way SP trains reach(ed) the SP branches south of Bartolo from their operational base at City of Industry yard. East of Puente Junction, the line has drill tracks on both sides, serving spurs for Stoddy Company and Edison Company on the south side, crosses Bixby Drive at grade, serving spurs on the south side for Kaiser Aetna, Little Tikes and Quinton Budlong, Data Document, and Fiat Metals, United Polymers Box & Bag Division, and New Moon Homes, and over Azusa Avenue on a bridge.
Continuing between newer warehouses and industries, with four classification tracks on the south side and spurs for Vitro Fill, Karl's Shoes and Promotional Packaging/Ronnie P on the north side, Passing over Hatcher Road on a bridge, passing a spur north, crossing Railroad Street to serve Buddys LLC/Consolidate Container, Sewell Plastic and CDI, a spur north crossing Railroad Street to serve Indalex West, one to serve Ramco Industries, and one that serves RCA, General Electric, American Standard, Calgon, KG Company of California, AMB-SGP CIF/Tyco Plastics, American Filter, and Worldwide, then one extra track and two separate spurs into warehouses on the south side, and past signals at Walnut (MP 22.9).
The line passes another spur south into a warehouse and crosses Fullerton Road, Nogales Street, a spur on the north side for Linpack and spurs on the south side for Cannon Mills/Netcom Packaging, DART Warehouse, Toro Pacific/Value Rite, and Sierra Pacific, crosses Fairway Drive, passes storage tracks on the north side with spurs for GATX Logistics, Kellogg, and in the Fairway Business Park, General Electric Appliances, Tropicana Fruit Juice, R&B Furniture, Dura Freight, and Ingram Book, and crosses Lemon Avenue and Brea Canyon Road at grade, with an underpass being built at the latter, in Janaury, 2008. Immediately east of the latter is the Metrolink Industry station (MP 24.8), with platforms on both tracks and parking lot on the north side of the tracks.
In an area of very new and still abuilding warehouses, the line crosses a pedestrian crossing at the end of Old Ranch Road, under Grand Avenue, across State Street on a bridge (inside the Lanterman Development Center), and under Temple Avenue, Route 57 and Route 71. Along this stretch there are signals at Diamond Bar (MP 25.5) and Spadra (MP 27.8), where there are spurs for McGrann Paper on the north side. East of Route 71, there is a right-hand crossover at Roselawn (MP 30.5), spurs for Manke Trucking on the south side, and a left-hand switch to the former SP and/or a central track 1 at Oak (MP 30.8).
In Pomona, the UP line is just a few yards from Southern Pacific’s Sunset Route through that same city, with stations opposite one another. Historically, the SP and UP lines simply ran alongside each other from Pomona to Montclair (and only a little bit further apart through Ontario). Since the UP was folded into the SP, and the whole renamed UP, connections have been put in so that the maximum flexibility in crossing over between the two lines is available for at least a short stretch. In all, there are three different routings by which trains from the Los Angeles subdivision west of this location can transfer to the Alhambra subdivision east of this location, as well as a way from trains using the Alhambra subdivision west of this location to transfer to the Los Angeles subdivision east of this location, as well as a passing track that can be used from both lines. A crossover from Track 1 to the Alhambra sub at its MP 513.7 is at Hamilton (MP 31.2).
This area is one of much older urban fabric than elsewhere. The lines jointly cross Hamilton Avenue at grade, over White Avenue on a bridge, past three spurs on the south side, over Park Avenue and Main Street at grade, all west of the stations, pass through the Pomona Amtrak station (with depot on the north side of the track), which is co-located with the Pomona Metrolink station (MP 31.9) on the Los Angeles subdivision, then over Garey Avenue by a bridge in the middle of the station platforms, Palomares Street at grade at the east end of the station platforms, over Towne Avenue on a bridge, and San Antonio Avenue at grade. At Reservoir (MP 32.6), the center track (Track 1) sends out a “crossover” to the former UP line, which it reaches at WO Tower (MP 33.0), where the Chino Industrial Lead turns away south at a wye and the line reduces to single track.
The line then crosses Reservoir Street, Ramona Avenue and Monte Vista Avenue at grade, with the ex-SP line to the north sharing the same grade crossing at each location. At Montclair there are seven yard tracks to the north of the original UP line (but south of the ex-SP track), with two Maintenance-of-Way tracks at its east end, along with a 5,971 ft. north side siding on the main line. There are signals at the west end of Montclair, MP 35.1, Central Avenue crosses the lines and the yard on a bridge, with spurs for Kruse Grain and Kruse Milling to the north, and there are signals at the east end of Montclair, MP 36.7. San Antonio Avenue, Ontario, is crossed at grade (with the original UP line and ex-SP line having separate crossings from here on east). Mountain Avenue crosses both lines on a bridge, Vine Avenue crosses at grade, the line crosses over Euclid Avenue on a bridge, there is a detector at MP 37.9, Sultana Avenue is crossed at grade, there is a flat crossing (diamond) with a southward spur off the ex-SP line at Ontario (MP 38.1), and there are signals at Bon View, MP 38.4, where two main tracks start again to the east.
Bon View Avenue is crossed at grade; there is a newly finished (early March, 2004) bridge over Grove Road and grade crossings at Vineyard Avenue and Archibald Avenue. There are signals at Ballou, MP 40.4. East of Grove Avenue, where the line turns to head east-southeast, Mission Boulevard runs alongside the tracks to the south for many miles, and Ontario Airport is alongside the tracks to the north between Grove Avenue and Cucamonga Creek (between Vineyard and Archibald Avenues). There are signals and crossovers at Turner Avenue, MP 41.6, with two MoW tracks to the north. The East Ontario Metrolink station at MP 42.0 has platforms on both tracks and a very large parking lot on the north side of the tracks, followed by Intermediate Signals at MP 42.2.
There is a bridge over Haven Avenue and a grade crossing at Millikan Avenue, with lineside industry on the north side of the tracks (spurs for Staples and International Paper, a spur for Baxter and a spur for DSC Logistics). There are two extra tracks on the south side (the west end of the Mira Loma Sidings), signals at MP 43.65 and at MP 43.8, the latter being at the west end of the four track Mira Loma yard, and a 14,264 ft. siding to the south of the two main tracks. Much of what is handled at Mira Loma seems to be autorack cars. I-15 passes overhead near the west end of the yard. North of the yard are spurs for Space Center & Continental, Borden Trucking, Triple Rail, Railway Express, Prologis California, Sav-On, Caterpillar, Inland Container, Coca-Cola, Diamond Bar MSC, Liquid Box/Pro Pak Calif., Atlantic Plastics, California Cartage, SLMS Properties, GAF, Anfinson Lumber, United Pacific Pet, Levecke, Nestle, Warren & Nelson/Highland, and GATX.
Route 60 passes overhead at the east end of the yard, and there are a number of signals at MP 45.5, and a line curving away southeast. The tracks cross over Etiwanda Avenue on a bridge, with spurs for Cal Pro and Sea Ray to the north. The line curving southeast crosses over Mission Boulevard to reach the fourteen-track fenced-in autorack yard there, with its additional eight-track auto ramp, together serving both GM and Ford. There are signals on a signal bridge at CP C047 (MP 46.6), Bellegrave Road, Rutile Road and Jurupa Road are crossed at grade, and the line turns south-southeast, signals at Pedley, MP 48.8, a Metrolink Station (“The Pedley Station”) with a large parking lot on the north side of the tracks, the Pedley Pocket to the north, with the wye for the Crestmore Industrial Track and a spur for Bear Forest products to its north, and the end of two main tracks at Limonite, MP 49.9, with the appropriate signals as the tracks cross over Limonite Avenue on a bridge, past spurs on the south side for Crest Steel.
The line now turns away east from Mission Boulevard; Clay Street is crossed at grade, in an area of new light industry and warehouses alongside the tracks. The line crosses the Santa Ana River on a concrete arch bridge with only a single track on it), where the heading changes to southeast, past a railroad facility with three tracks on the south side, serving Ceral Food Products and Dick G Evans Transportation. There is a wye with a spur to industries (Standard Lime, Contractor Service Company, New Wood Concepts, Polymers Building, Dow Jones, Newco Waste System, Vertis Advertising, Flex Steel, Metal Container Corporation, and AP-Arlington II) on the south side of the track at Arlington (MP 52.6), where two main tracks resume for a short distance as the line turns east.
The lines cross Jurupa Avenue, Mountain View Avenue and Streeter Avenue at grade. There are signals adjacent to Streeter Avenue grade crossing, a street alongside to the south, Palm Street and Brocton Street are crossed at grade, and then there are signals at CP Streeter, MP 55.5, the east end of two main tracks. At this point, the line has turned northeast. Now a single track, it crosses Magnolia Avenue and Riverside Avenue at grade, passes under Pachappa Hill Street which crosses overhead on a bridge, crosses Panorama Road at grade, and passes over Route 91 on a bridge curving to the north. East of the bridge, SCRRA Junction (with the tracks to the west side of the Riverside Downtown Metrolink station, MP 56.4) and West Riverside Junction, MP 56.7, with the BNSF San Bernardino subdivision, follow quickly. The Riverside Downtown station itself is 0.4 miles north of SCRRA Junction.
Prior to the development of the Riverside Downtown Metrolink station (and perhaps not even as late as that, although it was certainly that way in the 1970s), the UP line had kept to the west of the Santa Fe line (as it then was) and east of the 91 Freeway, along the line of Vine Street, to its own Riverside depot on the west side of the track north of University Avenue, and joined with the Santa Fe at Riverside junction, another mile or so north of West Riverside Junction. From here over Cajon Pass to Daggett, east of Barstow, UP has trackage rights over the BNSF, originally granted to the Los Angeles & Salt Lake in the early 1900s.