DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB-33 (Sub-No. 278X)] Union Pacific Railroad Company—Abandonment Exemption—in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, CA Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F—Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 5.18-mile line of railroad known as the McHenry Industrial Lead extending from milepost 21.25 near Escalon to milepost 26.43 near McHenry in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, CA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 95320 and 95356. UP has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic to be rerouted; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic report), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met.
Im not very familiar with this line but I believe the northern part near Stockton along French Camp Rd is still active under UP.
The area from South Modesto into Turlock is still active. I am not sure how frequent, tho. I spoke to the engineer from the Turlock Western RR and they meet with UP twice a week at Main Street and Central Ave west of Turlock. The area referenced in that memo from Escalon to North Modesto only surprises me how long they waited until abandonment. There is not a lot of business along that section. The section through town has been turned into a urban walking trail, and the trestle over the Toulumne river burnt in 2001 not long after the abandonment of the 9th street tracks. However, there is an active interchange in south Modesto off of the UP mainline that serves Southwest Modesto and into Turlock that is former TS service. What I do not know, and would appreciate if someone could help me out with, is if the UP's ex-TS tracks actually interchange with the BNSF at Escalon. They come extremely close, as I have seen from riding Amtrak through that area. However, I am not sure if there is an interchange.
