Southern Transcon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southern Transcon
BNSF ES44DC No. 7520 leads on the Southern Transcon in the Mojave Desert, California
Overview
Owner	BNSF Railway
Locale	Southwestern and Midwestern United States
Termini	Los Angeles, California Chicago, Illinois
Service
Type	Inter-city rail Freight rail
Operator(s)	BNSF Railway Amtrak
History
Completed	1908
Built by	Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Southern Transcon is a very important railway line in the United States. It stretches all the way from Southern California to Chicago, Illinois. This busy route is owned by the BNSF Railway and is made up of 11 smaller sections called subdivisions.

The Southern Transcon was completed in its current form in 1908. It was built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. This railway line is mostly double-tracked, meaning it has two sets of tracks. It is mainly used to carry freight, especially large containers that can be easily moved between trains, trucks, and ships.

This railway is one of the busiest in the western United States. In 2006, about 90 trains used the section between Belen and Clovis, New Mexico every day. On busy days, over 100 trains would pass through! Each of these trains is usually very long, about 6,000 to 8,000 feet (1.8 to 2.4 kilometers).

How the Southern Transcon Was Built

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway finished building a railroad between Chicago and Southern California in the 1880s. Many parts of this route were already built by smaller railway companies.

For example, the line in California between Needles and Mojave was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was meant to connect with the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway. These two lines met at Needles in 1883.

Later, in 1884, the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad leased this line. Then, in 1885, the California Southern Railroad finished its line over Cajon Pass. This connected to the Southern Pacific's line at Barstow. This gave the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway access to the West Coast.

Challenges of the Old Route

The original railway route had some big problems. It crossed Raton Pass and Glorieta Pass, which had very steep hills. These steep sections made it hard for trains to travel. Trains were slow, often got stuck, and needed extra engines (called helper engines) to push them up the hills.

To help with this, a second track was added at Raton in 1908. But this only added more space; the steep hills were still there. So, in 1902, the Santa Fe Railway started looking for a new, flatter route.

The Belen Cutoff Solution

To solve the problem of the steep hills, the Santa Fe Railway began building a new section called the Belen Cutoff in 1903. This new line was completed on July 1, 1908. It allowed freight trains to avoid the very steep hills of the old route. The new line had a maximum slope of only 1.25% at Abo Canyon, which was much easier for trains. Most passenger trains, however, kept using the old Raton Pass route to serve cities in Colorado.

Other Important Upgrades

The railway continued to improve the Southern Transcon even after the Belen Cutoff was finished.

• Coleman Cutoff (1914): This line connected central Texas to the main route.
• Ellinor Cutoff (1924): This 47-mile (76 km) shortcut helped trains avoid Wichita and go directly to Mulvane.
• Williams-Crookton Realignment (1960): In Arizona, a new line was built between Williams and Crookton. This bypassed sharp turns and steep hills on an older line. This $19.3 million project made the route smoother and faster.
• Double-Tracking: By October 2018, almost the entire Southern Transcon had two tracks. This allows trains to travel in both directions at the same time, making the line even more efficient. There are even plans to add three or four tracks in the busiest areas!

Sections of the Southern Transcon

The Southern Transcon is made up of several smaller sections called subdivisions. They are listed below from west to east.

Passenger Trains on the Line

While the Southern Transcon is mostly for freight trains, some parts of it are also used by passenger trains. The BNSF Railway itself does not run regular passenger trains, except for a small section near Chicago.

• Amtraks Southwest Chief uses parts of the Transcon. However, it takes a different route through Glorieta Pass, Raton Pass, and Topeka between Albuquerque and Kansas City.
• The Pacific Surfliner also runs on a section of the Transcon between Los Angeles and Fullerton.
• Metrolink commuter trains in Southern California use the route between Los Angeles and San Bernardino. This includes lines like the Orange County Line and the 91/Perris Valley Line.