As perhaps the nation's biggest little railroad, Pacific Harbor Line serves as something of a gatekeeper for southern California's massive Los Angeles (San Pedro)/Long Beach ports complex, which together handle more cargo in a year than the next five biggest ports combined. Railway Age magazine has named Pacific Harbor Line its 2009 Short Line Railroad of the Year, and called it "the greenest railroad in America."
One small, green railroad makes peace at the ports
"Pacific Harbor Line coordinates the movements of cargo into and out of the harbor. Just 11 years old, it was created to be a problem solver."
Railway Age's main article on Pacific Harbor Line is subscriber only, but you can read its Shortline Railroad of the Year announcement:
Railway Age names Short Line, Regional Railroads
There's a track miles discrepancy between the L.A. Times and Railway Age which I'm guessing might be the difference between owned trackage and operated trackage. Pacific Harbor Line interchanges with BNSF and Union Pacific, and given its relationships with those railroads almost surely spends a fair amount of time operating on their tracks.
One small, green railroad makes peace at the ports
"Pacific Harbor Line coordinates the movements of cargo into and out of the harbor. Just 11 years old, it was created to be a problem solver."
Railway Age's main article on Pacific Harbor Line is subscriber only, but you can read its Shortline Railroad of the Year announcement:
Railway Age names Short Line, Regional Railroads
There's a track miles discrepancy between the L.A. Times and Railway Age which I'm guessing might be the difference between owned trackage and operated trackage. Pacific Harbor Line interchanges with BNSF and Union Pacific, and given its relationships with those railroads almost surely spends a fair amount of time operating on their tracks.
