Pacific Imperial Railroad

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Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc.
Reporting mark PIR
Locale Southern Border Region, Southern California
Dates of operation 2011–Present
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters

2776 Gateway Road

Carlsbad, CA 92009
Website www.pacificimperialrailroad.com

The Pacific Imperial Railroad (reporting mark PIR) is a class III railroad in Southern California.[1]

History

Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc. (PIR), was incorporated in Delaware on October 27, 2011[2] and qualified to do business in California on April 23, 2012,[3] having its stated objectives being to lease, rehabilitate, reopen and resume service, manage, operate, and maintain the entire Desert Line from "Mileposts 59.94" at or near the U.S. Border in "Division" to "Milepost 130.0" at Plaster City, west of El Centro.

On December 20, 2012, PIR executed a 99 year lease with San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE) and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), owners of the Desert Line right of way.[4] The Desert Line extends from east San Diego County (border with Baja California) to western Imperial County.

In 2012, following the embargo of the Carrizo Gorge Railway (CZRY) in October 2008 and the loss of operating rights in the Mexican Tecate-Tijuana segment, Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc. replaced the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad as the rail operator between Plaster City and the border near Campo.[5]

On February 15, 2013, Pacific Imperial Railroad announced Ernest Dahlman as its CEO and Donald Stoecklein as the company's president.[6] On October 2013, Stoecklein announced retirement from his role as president.[7] In November, the railroad selected David Rohal as its second president, with Sheila LeMire as COO.[8][9]

Operations

PIR entered into an agreement with J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc.[10] to initiate inspections to the line to evaluate initial repairs and plans for test trains to begin operating in 2014. Additionally, PIR purchased three locomotives recently, which are stored operable in Plaster City;(Three ex-Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad EMD GP40 locomotives with reporting marks of STBX 4500, STBX 4501, and STBX 4504) [11]

PIR made a payment of $500,000 to SD&AE as part of the lease.[12]

SD&AE CEO Paul Jablonski has mentioned "they will now proceed with the reconstruction plan assessment of the 57 bridges and performing the necessary repairs"[13] So far, J.L. Patterson has completed initial repairs by clearing sand from the line that blew into the line's right-of-way with a ballast regulator and ran a high-tech Holland Track Geometry Hi-Rail truck on the Desert Line to identify defects on the entire Desert line. They will now proceed on making initial repairs to tracks and bridges so they can start running work trains to get the line in shape for revenue freight.

Projects

PIR officials target the maquiladora market by interchanging with the Baja California Railroad in Mexico in the west-end and with Union Pacific Railroad in Plaster City.[14] Improvements to the "Desert Line" started in August 2013.

The last freight movements thru the area was sand exports for the construction market in the United States from Mexico, which stopped after environmental concerns.[15]

Media Outreach

PIR maintains a website PacificImperialRailroad.comas well as a Facebook Page to keep the public informed. Press releases and other information about the new additions to the management of PIR can be found there.

References

  1. ↑ McFarland, Thomas F. "Change in Operators Exemption". Surface Transportation Board. STB - Finance Docket. 
  2. ↑ "Department of State: Division of Corporations". Retrieved 11 June 2013. 
  3. ↑ "California Secretary of State Business Entity Search". Retrieved 11 June 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Pacific Imperial Railroad Announces Update in Operations". Business Wire. 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  5. ↑ "San Diego MTS Report". Sdmts.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  6. ↑ "Pacific Imperial Railroad Announces Update in Operations". Businesswire.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  7. ↑ "Pacific Imperial Railroad Announces Management Changes". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2013-11-24. 
  8. ↑ "Pacific Imperial Railroad Names David Rohal President". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2013-11-28. 
  9. ↑ http://pacificimperialrailroad.com/team/
  10. ↑ "Pacific Imperial railroad, Inc. Enters into Services Agreem,ent with J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc.". Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  11. ↑ "Agenda : Meeting of the Metropolitan Transit System - Board of Directors". Sdmts.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  12. ↑ "Pacific Imperial Railroad Reaches Major Milestones; Pays $500,000 Lease for Desert Line". Sdmts.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  13. ↑ "Desert Line reconstruction on track". UTSanDiego.com. 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2013-09-21. 
  14. ↑ Dibble, Sandra. "Rebuilding historic U.S.-Mexico rail link". San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 11 Feb 2013. 
  15. ↑ Cervantes, Sandra. "Preparan proyecto El Lindero en Tecate". Urbes y Estados. El Economista. Retrieved 3 Dec 2012. 

External links

Common carriers
Passenger carriers
Private carriers
Former carriers
See also: List of United States railroads by political division
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