| Central California Traction Company | |
|---|---|
| Reporting mark | CCT |
| Locale | San Joaquin Valley, California |
| Dates of operation | 1905–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Stockton, California |
| Website | cctrailroad.com |
The Central California Traction Company (reporting mark CCT) is a Class III short-line railroad operating in Northern California. It is owned jointly by the Union Pacific and BNSF Railway. The railroad extends from the Port of Stockton to Lodi, California. The railroad at one time extended from Lodi - Sacramento, but that portion of the line has been out of service since 1998, although the tracks remain in place. The line currently operates between Lodi and Stockton and operates the Stockton Public Belt Railway around the Port of Stockton.
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The Central California Traction Company was founded on August 7, 1905, as an alternative city streetcar line to the Stockton Electric Railroad. The company soon had greater ambitions and became an electric interurban railway, opening a line from Stockton to Lodi in 1907, and reaching Sacramento by 1910. In 1928, the railroad was sold by the original owners and was then jointly purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Western Pacific Railroad. The railroad operated over the same line from Stockton to Sacramento until 1998 when service between Lodi and Sacramento was suspended. Currently the line between Stockton and Sacramento is being kept for future operational options.
As of October, 2009, several miles of the track through Acampo are being used to store rolling stock, primarily Centerbeam flatcars used to carry lumber.
The CCT is a thriving shortline freight hauler serving Stockton and Lodi CA, it is the one part of all 3 of its previous owners that is still in operation today. The CCT also handles all of the Port of Stockton Rail Traffic. The CCT is a model for how a modern shortline railroad can survive in today's world.
At least one of the CCT stations survives in Acampo CA just north of Lodi CA. This station was converted to a home, with the addition of interior walls and expansion.
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