Palo Alto Railroad Corporation
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| Reporting mark | PARC |
|---|---|
| Locale | California |
| Dates of operation | November 24, 1982–present |
| Predecessor | Southern Pacific |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 0 miles (0 km) |
| Revenue |  |
| Operating Income | |
| Net Income | |
| Number of Employees |  65 Employees (November 2024) |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, Californoia |
| Website | paloaltorail.com |
The Palo Alto Railroad Corporation (reporting mark PARC) (commonly known as the Palo Alto Railroad) is a class III short-line railroad headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
History
The Palo Alto Railroad Corporation (referred to as PARC from now on) was originally founded in 1982 as a small shell of what it currently is, connecting a few small businesses and mainly doing switching for the Southern Pacific (referred to as SP from now on). As the railroad began to expand throughout the mid-80s to early-90s, it began to connect a larger amount of businesses, and began transporting more on its own, rather than just preparing shipments from the businesses to be taken on the SP. In 1989, the railroad set up a long-term lease with the SP for use of the Dumbarton Rail Bridge, expanding operations into Newark. After the 1996 merger of the SP with the Union Pacific Railroad, the Palo Alto Railroad Corporation was able to purchase the bridge, due to the Union Pacific not seeing any use in keeping the bridge.
Dumbarton Rail Bridge Fire
At around 7:00 PM on January 3rd, 1998, the bridge's western trestle caught on fire, causing the closure of the nearby Dumbarton Bridge. A PARC train on its way to Newark from East Palo Alto nearly became caught up in the flames, but the train's conductor notified the engineer of a potential fire, and the train was slowed to a stop before it was able to go onto the bridge. The fire continued until noon on the following day, and caused a large amount of damage to the bridge.