Arizona/Railroads

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Like highways, railroad tracks have been imported from TIGER data and they share the same problems like unconnected segments, wrong tagging, missing bridges and railroad crossings and positions that are frequently off quite a lot. So a TIGER Review is necessary as it is for highways.

Introduction

An early wiki for Arizona railroads (basic freight and passenger structure are somewhat complete). Please bear with OSM as it better completes, it is under construction. Passenger train relations will need attention (construction updates as revenue service starts on newer Phoenix light_rail extensions and streetcar services).

Color and symbol legend

The status of each route is indicated by a symbol, which describes the type of feature, and a color, which indicates the completeness of that feature in a map region. For more details, see Wiki Help.

Meaning of symbols

Symbol Meaning
Routing Route status
Stops Stops status

"Bus stops" in this wiki actually refer to "passenger rail stops."

Base Code NA 0 1 2 3 4 X
{{State Route|r=...|h=}} Routing - implies status unknown Routing (0/4) - no part of route added Routing (1/4) - route partly added (as relation) Routing (2/4) - route mainly added, needs completing Routing (3/4) - route relation complete (in view of 1 editor). Should be verified. Routing (4/4) - route complete & verified by second editor. Please date. Routing (X/4) - route does not exist in real world.
{{State Route|r=|h=...}} Stops - implies status unknown Stops (0/4) - no stops added to relation Stops (1/4) - some stops added Stops (2/4) - most stops added, needs completing Stops (3/4) - all stops added to relation (in view of 1 editor). Should be verified. Stops (4/4) - route complete & verified by second editor. Please date. Stops (X/4) - no stops in real world. Unlikely to be used without r=X as well.

The codes 0-4 are a logical progression, but they do not all have to be used in sequence. It is perfectly acceptable to go from 0 (nothing on map) to 3 (everything done in opinion of one editor). However, there should never be a jump to level 4. r=4 should only appear after r=3, and the same with h=3 & h=4, as this implies the relation has been checked by both the editor who completed it (level 3), and a second editor (level 4). Given these are different people, a jump up to level 4 from anything other than 3 is not possible.

In this wiki, this symbology is initially used only with Passenger trains and is in addition to a different method of entering these table data, these may or are beginning to harmonize. The goal in this wiki is to use this symbology with Freight rail as well; under construction.

Active lines

Lines that see regular rail traffic.

Arizona Department of Transportation's Arizona Railroad Map is helpful, especially Figure A.1, a state overview of active rail.

Try this Overpass Turbo query, noting that OT queries are easy to edit. For example, you could change "main" to "branch" or "industrial" and run the query again.

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF)

A Class I (major railroad) in the USA. BNSF has ? route miles in Arizona.

Main

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
BNSF Phoenix Subdivision BNSF relation 1453787 Williams - Ash Fork - Drake - Wickenburg - Castle Hot Springs/Morristown - Whitman - Glendale - Phoenix Partially TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=main. 209 miles. Connects to Southern Transcon at Williams Jct. Interchanging with UP at its downtown Phoenix terminus. Has the nickname "Peavine." maxspeed=49 mph, Track Warrant Control (TWC) train control protocol (unsignalized, "dark territory").
Gallup Subdivision BNSF relation 1453756 Winslow - Holbrook - New Mexico Line - Gallup, New Mexico - Milan, New Mexico - Grants, New Mexico - Belen, New Mexico Done Tagged usage=main. Part of Southern Transcon relation 4673773. Supports Amtrak Southwest Chief passenger=national route=trains.
Seligman Subdivision BNSF relation 1453757 Winslow - Flagstaff - Williams - Kingman - California Line - Needles, California Done Tagged usage=main Part of Southern Transcon relation 4673773. Supports Amtrak Southwest Chief passenger=national route=trains. Has a FIXME tag saying it "needs triple-tracking, alignment around Franconia, is very messy around Yampai, needs many fixes to include both/all tracks" (despite being fully TIGER Reviewed).

Branch

Co-owned by BNSF, Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power, these two branch subdivisions are unsignalized, operate by TWC and are maxspeed=49 mph.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Coronado Subdivision BNSF relation 9098107 Coronado Jct. (E of Holbrook) - Tepco Jct. - SRP Coronado Power Plant Done Tagged usage=branch. 45.5 route miles.
Springerville Railroad Spur BNSF relation 9113880 Tepco Jct. - Tucson Electric Power Generating Station Done Tagged usage=branch. 29.7 route miles.

Industrial

There are two short spurs serving aggregate industries, at Darling (Winona) MP 328 and at Shipley, MP 461.4.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Darling/Winona Industrial Spur BNSF relation 9114081 Winona Done Tagged usage=industrial. 2.2 km.
Shipley Industrial Spur BNSF Relation is not yet defined Shipley Unknown TIGER Review Not sure if this is in OSM.

Union Pacific Railroad (UP)

A Class I (major railroad) in the USA. UP has ? route miles in Arizona. UP is the leading provider of transportation services to and from the U.S./Mexico border, serving all six major U.S. Gateways to Mexico and connecting directly to the two largest Mexican railroads. UP exchanges approximately 58% of shipments to and from Mexico with Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) and the remaining 42% with Ferromex (FXE). UP has a 26% ownership in Ferromex.

Main

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Gila Subdivision UP relation 7452655 Yuma - Wellton - Gila Bend - Maricopa - Casa Grande - Eloy - Marana - Tucson Largely TIGER Reviewed, only about 20 miles to finish Tagged usage=main. Supports Amtrak Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle passenger=national route=trains. Also known as "Sunset Route Mainline." maxspeed:passenger=79 mph and maxspeed:freight=70 mph. Train operations are governed by Centralized Traffic Control (CTC).
Lordsburg Subdivision UP relation 7452596 Tucson - Benson - Willcox - New Mexico Line - Lordsburg, New Mexico - Deming, New Mexico - Texas Line - El Paso, Texas Partially TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=main. Supports Amtrak Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle passenger=national route=trains. Arizona segments are also known as "Sunset Route Mainline."
Nogales Subdivision UP relation 9097924 Tucson - Sahuarita - Rio Rico - Nogales Lightly TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=main. Connects Nogales on the Mexican border (where it intersects with Ferrocarril de Mexico Railroad [Ferromex]) to "Sunset Route Mainline" (Lordsburg, Gila Subdivisions) at Tucson. 65.7 miles. maxspeed=40 mph.
UP Phoenix Subdivision UP relation 9097925 Crag - Buckeye - Phoenix - Tempe - Mesa Partially TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=main. Train control is Automatic Block System (ABS). maxspeed=60 mph. Connects to "Sunset Route Mainline" via loop from Wellton to Picacho through downtown Phoenix, or would, except W of Buckeye to about Growler Railroad Station is disused/abandoned. ADOT says "about 125 miles of track" (from where to where, exactly?). Interchanges with BNSF near downtown Phoenix (clarify, is BNSF interchanging with UP at UP's Phoenix yard or is UP interchanging with BNSF at BNSF's Phoenix yard, or both, something different?). E and S of UP Phoenix Union Station this relation's elements are tagged usage=main, W of somewhere around there, (S 7th Avenue area there might be a change of ownership?) is tagged usage=branch. Let's clean up this relation with some sharp-edged tagging; fuzzy edges are only good for a while.
Yuma Subdivision UP relation 4485205 Yuma - California Line - Indio, California - San Bernardino, California TIGER Reviewed (Arizona segments) Tagged usage=main. Only 0.37 miles in Arizona. Arizona segment is also known as "Sunset Route Mainline."

Branch

Note that west of UP Phoenix Union Station, UP Phoenix Subdivision is tagged usage=branch.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Wellton Branch UP relation 9098102 Wellton - Roll Done Tagged usage=branch. The relatively-lengthy (63.5 miles) segment east of Roll which connects to UP Phoenix Subdivision at Arlington is either disused or abandoned, please clarify and place the result into the proper section below.

Industrial

ADOT's 2012 Statewide Rail Plan says that at Yuma, two spurs serve Yuma Proving Grounds and Yuma International Airport, which includes Yuma Marine Corps Air Station (Yuma MCAS). However these airport spurs (largely near South Avenue 3 East) seem to serve only minor industry, not the airport nor Yuma MCAS. Along with the ADOT documented Yuma MCAS rail (not readily findable in OSM), these do not appear to constitute easily-created usage=industrial relations, and hence are not included in this table. The true nature of these Yuma-area rail should be ascertained, entered into OSM and documented in this wiki.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Chandler Industrial Lead UP relation 9098105 McQueen Jct. - Dock Needs TIGER Review The 19.6 mile Chandler Industrial Lead connects Dock, a railroad location 7 miles into Pinal County, with UP Phoenix Subdivision at McQueen. However, see Abandoned section (UP) as it isn't clear which segments are active vs. abandoned.
Cotpro Spur UP relation 9119158 UP Phoenix Subdivision - 47th Avenue Industrial areas of Phoenix Done The two mile long Cotpro spur serves the warehouse, coil steel, lumber and general merchandise market near I-10.
Fennemore Spur UP relation 9098106 El Mirage - Fennemore Needs TIGER Review May be called "Ennis."
Mission Mine Spur UP relation 9118928 UP's Nogales Subdivision at at MP 999.8 (Pima Junction) serves the ASARCO Mission Mine via a 6.5 mile industrial line. Partially TIGER Reviewed
Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station UP relation 9119160 UP Phoenix Subdivision W of Phoenix - Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Done 7.4 miles with additional spurs and sidings. ADOT says a "4.5 mile industrial lead built in 1979 connects the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station with UP Phoenix Subdivision near Arlington Siding."
Sahuarita Mine Spur UP relation 9118908 Nogales Subdivision at Sahuarita Jct. (MP 1002.4) - Mines Partially TIGER Reviewed Two mining operations are served by business tracks radiating west from Nogales Subdivision. Freeport McMoRan Sahuarita facility is served by a 7.5 mile rail line (says ADOT), though OSM shows about 13.6 miles. Hauling copper concentrate, copper. Yard speed limits only.
Salt River Spur UP relation 9119145 UP Phoenix Subdivision - 37th/43rd Avenue Industrial areas of Phoenix Done The three mile Salt River (37th Avenue) Spur serves lumber, scrap steel and chemical customers in south Phoenix.
Tempe Industrial Lead (Kyrene) UP relation 9099462 UP Phoenix Subdivision - West Chandler Partially TIGER Reviewed The 9.5 mile "Kyrene" connects an industrial park in West Chandler with UP Phoenix Subdivision. Parts are described by ADOT as disused or abandoned, please clarify and tag properly.

Short Lines

Class III railroads sorting out and being entered/better tagged both in OSM and in this wiki. Choices between "branch" and "industrial" are somewhat arbitrary, if you believe a different tagging and categorization is better, feel free to re-tag and place into the appropriate section.

Branch

Apache Railway (APA)

Owned by and serves Catalyst Paper (mill). 38 route miles, hauling waste paper, coal, newsprint, animal feed. A 5.34 mile (ADOT says seven mile) branch links APA's "mainline" with Snowflake. TWC train control. maxspeed=35 mph. Interchanging with BNSF at Holbrook.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Apache Mainline APA relation 4427429 Holbrook - Novo Biopower Needs TIGER review usage=branch? Or industrial for the last two miles?
Snowflake Branch APA relation 9098108 W of Snowflake - near Snowflake Needs TIGER review Tagged usage=branch. Name is speculative.

Arizona and California Railroad (ARZC)

Total mileage: 205 miles, 106 (114?) miles of which are in Arizona. Owned by Genesee & Wyoming. Hauling cement, lumber, liquefied petroleum gas, steel. maxspeed=49 mph. ARZC has trackage rights on BNSF from Matthie (its interchange point) to the BNSF Mobest Yard in Phoenix. At Castle Hot Springs (near Morristown), ARZC exchanges eastbound and westbound trains with BNSF crews from Mobest. TWC train control. Hauling petroleum, chemical, bulk shipments, cement, lumber, liquefied petroleum gas and steel.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Cadiz Subdivision ARZC relation 4512960 Cadiz, California - Parker - near Wickenburg at BNSF interchange Done Both the California and Arizona segments are included in Cadiz. While A&C calls Cadiz "mainline," members are tagged usage=branch. Hauling petroleum gas, steel and lumber.

Found in California is ARZC's Blythe Subdivision relation 4519548 from Rice - Blythe - Ripley. It needs a "light and easy" TIGER review and is railbanked for trail use about 7 km south of Rice, per STB Docket AB 1022 1 X.

Arizona Central Railroad (AZCR)

Arizona Central Railroad is owned by The Western Group and serves the cement industry. With 38.7 route miles in Arizona, it hauls coal, coke, mill scale, bauxite. maxspeed:passenger=15 mph and maxspeed:freight=10 mph. Known as Verde Canyon Railroad when operating as a tourist passenger railroad. Interchanges with BNSF at Drake.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Arizona Central Railroad (this is the operator, is there a better name for this line?) AZCR relation 9098109 Drake (Jct.) - Clarkdale Partially TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=branch

Arizona Eastern Railroad (AZER)

Arizona Eastern Railway (owned by Gennesee & Wyoming). 206 total route miles: 181 in Arizona, 25 in New Mexico. Hauling copper ore, perlite, diesel fuel, kerosene and fertilizer. UP has granted AZER trackage rights between Bowie and Lordsburg, New Mexico (interchange point) linking the two branches.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Arizona Eastern Railway (this is the operator, is there a better name for this line?) AZER relation 9099314 Bowie - Miami Partially TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=*. 135 route miles. maxspeed=40 mph and maxspeed=20 mph, but much of the line is restricted to speeds as low as 10 mph.
Clifton Subdivision AZER relation 3354988 Clifton - Lordsburg, New Mexico Nearly completely TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=*. 70 route miles, just over 41 miles of this subdivision are in Arizona. maxspeed=40 mph and maxspeed=20 mph, but much of the line is restricted to speeds as low as 10 mph. An industrial lead owned by Freeport-McMoRan connects the Morenci Mine to this line.

Industrial

Kingman Terminal Railroad (KGTR)

KGTR is owned by Patriot Rail. Interchanging with BNSF at Kingman.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Kingman Terminal Railroad (this is the operator, is there a better name for this line?) KGTR relation 9122731 Kingman - Kingman Airport & Industrial Park Done About 3 miles of line tagged usage=industrial, plus numerous spurs, near Kingman Airport.

San Pedro Valley Railroad (SPVR)

SPVR is owned by Iron Resources. Interchanging with UP at both Benson and Willcox (a switching operation, this implies UP offers trackage rights on Lordsburg Subdivision between Benson and Willcox).

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
San Pedro Valley Railroad (this is the operator, is there a better name for this line?) SPVR relation 9101407 Benson - Curtiss Done Tagged usage=industrial. 7.5 route miles from a UP connection at Benson to Curtiss. Hauling anhydrous ammonia, fertilizer. maxspeed=20 mph.

Military railroads

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Camp Navajo Railroad ???? relation 9119069 Bellemont - Camp Navajo Done Serves the Arizona National Guard. 38 route miles. Hauling military loads; much of this is tagged usage=military. maxspeed=10 mph. Interchanging with BNSF at Bellemont.

Private railroads

Private railroads being entered/better tagged both in OSM and in this wiki. These are believed not to be "common carriers" (Class I, II or III railroads) but are privately owned.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
APS Cholla Power Plant Industrial Lead APS? The single way is in OSM Joseph City - APS Cholla Power Plant Done 7 route miles, though the single way (tagged usage=industrial) noted is only 1.7 miles (spurs and sidings may account for the remainder). Hauling coal, ash. Yard speed limits only. Interchanging with BNSF at Joseph City.
Arizona Electric Power Company Spur AEPC relation 9118513 Cochise - Apache Station Generating Plant Done W of Willcox at Cochise (MP 1063.9) UP provides daily coal train service to the Arizona Electric Power Company (AEPC) Apache Station Generating Plant via a three mile welded-rail spur owned by AEPC. Tagged usage=industrial.
Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad Owned and operated by Salt River Project, Navajo Nation/Hopi Tribe relation 2713355 Navajo Generating Station Power Plant - Peabody Coal Mine Done Tagged usage=industrial. 78 route miles. maxspeed=40 mph. An isolated railroad not connected to any other or the national rail network.
Copper Basin Railway (this is the operator, is there a better name for this line?) CBRY relation 9098104 Hayden Jct. - Hayden (smelter) N of Winkleman Partially TIGER Reviewed Copper Basin Railway (owned by ASARCO LLC). Serves copper mining operations. 54.6 route miles from its interchange point with UP and Magma Arizona Railroad at Magma Jct. to Winkelman. Four mile Ray branch connects the ASARCO-owned Ray Mine with the CBRY "mainline" (tagged usage=industrial) at Ray Jct. (MP 987). At Hayden Jct., a 1.8 mile smelter spur connects the "mainline" with the ASARCO concentrator and smelter railroad. Direct Traffic Control (DTC) and maxspeed=25 mph. Hauling sulfuric acid, copper concentrate, copper, copper-scandium oxide. maxspeed=40 mph.
Drake Switching Company Drake Switching Company Relation not defined yet Not easily identifiable in OSM Unkown 4.12 route miles. Hauling cement, raw materials. Yard speed limits only. Interchanges with BNSF at Drake.
McElhaney Cattle Company Railroad McElhaney Cattle Company Railroad Relation not defined yet Not easily findable in OSM Unkown Little is known.
Morenci Mine Railroad Freeport McMoRan relation 9118960 Clifton - Morenci - Morenci Mine Done Tagged usage=industrial. ADOT says 15 route miles, OSM says 6.9 miles. Hauling copper concentrate, copper. Yard speed limits only.
Port of Tucson POT relation 9137637 Wilmot (SE Tucson) Done Tagged service=spur for the most part (there is a single siding at the mainline switches). Perhaps a "main" spur is better tagged usage=industrial. About 9.5 miles of track (ADOT says 5 miles, OSM includes all spurs in this total). It appears POT is both owner and operator. Hauling container freight, intermodal-transload, frozen storage, beer, utility pipe. Yard speed limits only. Interchanges with UP at Wilmot (SE Tucson).

Disused lines

There is a fair amount of rail tagged railway=disused in Arizona. Try a railway=disused OT query and help to complete this table!

Description Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
ASARCO Sacaton Spur UP Relation not yet defined Bon (W of Casa Grande at MP 907.7) Unknown An inactive two mile spur served the ASARCO Sacaton Unit copper mine.
Twin Buttes Sahuarita Industrial Spur UP relation 9118909 Off the Sahuarita Industrial Spur to the Twin Buttes Mine Done Freeport McMoRan Twin Buttes Mine Railroad (inactive) branches off UP's Sahuarita Mine Spur.
Magma Arizona Railroad MAA relation 9119078 Magma Jct. - Iron King - Blue Bell - Mayer (may need improved locatities here) Needs TIGER Review "Inactive" according to ADOT. Owned by BHP Billiton mining operations. Interchanged with UP at Magma Jct.
San Manuel Arizona Railroad SMA Relation not yet defined Hayden - San Manuel Unknown San Manuel Arizona Railroad (inactive?, owned by Capstone Mining Corp.). 29.4 miles.
Tucson-Cornelia & Gila Bend Railroad TCG Relation not yet defined Tucson - Cornelia - Gila Bend Unknown Inactive, owned by Freeport McMoran? Interchange point with UP was Gila Bend.
Yuma Valley Railway YVR, USG? Relation not yet defined Cities Unknown Yuma Valley Railway (inactive tourist rail operated by Yuma Valley Live Steamers Association), may also use reporting mark USG. Interchanged with UP at Yuma.

Abandoned lines

There is a substantial amount of rail tagged railway=abandoned in Arizona. Try a railway=abandoned OT query and help to complete this table! Abandonment does not imply surrender of right-of-way and trackage rights.

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF)

Description Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Crookton - Pineveta - Ash Fork - Crookton Cutoff BNSF Relation not yet defined Crookton - Pineveta - Ash Fork - Crookton Cutoff Unknown
Entro - Prescott Valley - Dewey - Humboldt - Iron King BNSF Relation not yet defined Entro - Prescott Valley - Dewey - Humboldt - Iron King Unknown
Iron King - Blue Bell - Mayer BNSF Relation not yet defined Iron King - Blue Bell - Mayer Unknown
Prescott Branch BNSF Relation not yet defined Prescott - ? Unknown 28 miles.
Prescott - Entro - Chino Valley - Paulden - Abra BNSF Relation not yet defined Prescott - Entro - Chino Valley - Paulden - Abra Unknown
Prescott - Iron Springs - Skull Valley BNSF Relation not yet defined Prescott - Iron Springs - Skull Valley Unknown

Union Pacific Railroad (UP)

Description Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Chandler Industrial Lead (part) UP relation 9118481 Dock (Sacaton) to Boston through Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) Needs TIGER Review 16 miles claimed to be abandoned by ADOT, however 2018 Digital Globe imagery shows track most or all the way to Dock. Unclear; please confirm where boundary between abandoned and active rail actually is.
Tempe Industrial Lead (part) UP Relation not yet defined Tempe Unknown 17 miles. Unclear how or if this is part of or confused with "Kyrene."
Tempe River Lead UP Relation not yet defined Tempe Unknown The 2 mile long Tempe River Lead was abandoned in 2008.
Wellton Branch (disused) UP relation 9118814 Roll - Arlington Done 63.5 miles east of Roll to Arlington have been out of service since 1996. Not sure if disused (OSM tagging) or abandoned (what ADOT says); please clarify (STB Docket #?) and place into proper table (here or above).
Davis - Monthan Air Force Base Spur UP Relation not yet defined Davis - Monthan AFB Unknown 5 miles.
Lewis Springs - Sierra Vista/Ft. Huachuca UP Relation not yet defined Lewis Springs - Sierra Vista/Ft. Huachuca Unknown
Waltz - Gadsden - San Luis UP Relation not yet defined Waltz - Gadsden - San Luis Unknown
Santan - Olberg - Poston UP Relation not yet defined Santan - Olberg - Poston Unknown
Fairbank - Sonoita - Patagonia UP Relation not yet defined Fairbank - Sonoita - Patagonia Unknown
Fenner - Sibyl Line Change UP Relation not yet defined Fenner - Sibyl Line Change Unknown
Douglas - Apache - New Mexico State Line UP Relation not yet defined Douglas - Apache - New Mexico State Line Unknown
Mescal - Benson Jct. UP Relation not yet defined Mescal - Benson Jct. Unknown
Mohawk Summit Line Change UP Relation not yet defined Mohawk Summit Line Change Unknown
Bosque Line Change UP Relation not yet defined Bosque Line Change Unknown
Webb Subdivision UP Relation not yet defined From Northern Avenue to Luke AFB Unknown
Cotton Lane Lead from Fertizola to Goodyear UP Relation not yet defined Cotton Lane Lead from Fertizola to Goodyear Unknown
Litchfield Industrial Lead UP Relation not yet defined Litchfield Unknown 2.9 miles connecting Litchfield Park and Litchfield Jct., the latter a location near the intersection of Litchfield Road and Main Street, immediately east of the Phoenix Goodyear Airport, was abandoned and track removed.
Phoenix I-10 – River Lead UP Relation not yet defined Phoenix I-10 – River Lead Unknown

Short Line Railroads

Description Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Curtiss to Paul Spur near Douglas SPSR Relation not yet defined Curtiss - near Douglas Unknown 57 miles.
Bisbee Jct. to Douglas SPSR Relation not yet defined Bisbee Jct. - Douglas Unknown
Magma Jct. to Superior UP Relation not yet defined Magma Jct. - Superior Unknown 28 miles.
Ajo to Gila Bend TCG Relation not yet defined Ajo - Gila Bend Unknown
Steam siding to Waltz USG/YVR Relation not yet defined Waltz Unknown 12 miles.
Snowflake - Taylor - Shumway - Pinetop Lakes - McNary Apache Railway Relation not yet defined Snowflake - Taylor - Shumway - Pinetop Lakes - McNary Unknown
McNary - Apache Sunrise Ski Resort area - Big Lake Southwest Forest Industries/White Mountain Scenic Road Relation not yet defined McNary - Apache Sunrise Ski Resort area - Big Lake Unknown
Flagstaff - Mountainaire - Newman Park - Mormon Lake Southern Forest Industries Relation not yet defined Flagstaff - Mountainaire - Newman Park - Mormon Lake Unknown
Big Lake - Maverick Southwest Forest Industries/White Mountain Scenic Road Relation not yet defined Big Lake - Maverick Unknown
Fairbank - Tombstone SPSR Relation not yet defined Fairbank - Tombstone Unknown

Railtrails

A railtrail uses a former railroad right-of-way (ROW) for equestrian, bicycle or hiking paths, preserving the ROW for possible future re-use as a railway while providing a useful service in the meantime. These are often tagged highway=cycleway or highway=footway depending on whether they prefer or allow bicycle or pedestrian traffic. It is OK to tag both railway=abandoned and highway=cycleway if it is the case that an abandoned railway became a railtrail (for bicycle use, for example). Where a (multi-use) pathway is designated for pedestrians but also allows bicycles, tag highway=footway and bicycle=yes.

Passenger trains

Tracks and stations used for passenger train routes are correctly collected into route=train relations. There is an earlier (with simpler structure) "version 1" method to do this that involves simply "tracks and stations" being in the relation. There is a later "version 2" method which is more complex and requires the exact stop position of the train, platforms for passengers, full "directionality" for each aspect of the train's travel, and a super-relation to tie these together. Please see this wiki section for full details on how to "upgrade" a public_transport:version=1 route=train relation to public_transport:version=2.

Try OpenPublicTransportMap (OPTM): it displays passenger rail in route=train relations. At closer zooms, OPTM also displays route=light_rail, route=subway, route=tram, route=monorail, route=funicular, route=bus, route=trolleybus, route=aerialway and route=ferry with colors similar to ORM. Please compare and contrast ORM (rail infrastructure) and OPTM (passenger routes) with OSM's Transport layer which rather simply displays "any and all rail" (railway=*), though not disused or abandoned rail, and at closer zooms, route=bus. Here was another rail renderer which displayed rail-based passenger routes with their colour=* or color=* tag (no longer functional, it was handy on Amtrak).

Amtrak (passenger=national) trains serving Arizona (AMTK)

Amtrak trains serve these cities in Arizona: Yuma, Maricopa, Tucson and Benson (Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle) and Kingman, Williams Junction, Flagstaff and Winslow (Southwest Chief).

Route name Trains (ref=*) Passenger Service type=route_master type=route Status Last Checked Notes
Southwest Chief® 3, 4 national relation 4720714 EB relation 904839
WB relation 4720713
EB
Routing (3/4)Stops (3/4)
WB Routing (3/4)Stops (3/4)
Complete; public_transport v2. 2265 miles (Chicago - Los Angeles).
Sunset Limited® 1, 2 national v2 Relation not yet defined v1 relation 297142 Routing (3/4)Stops (3/4) Complete; public_transport v1. 1995 miles (New Orleans - San Antonio - Los Angeles). Between San Antonio and Los Angeles, uses same track (route) and stations as Texas Eagle.
Texas Eagle® 21, 22, 421, 422 national v2 Relation not yet defined v1 relation 2795760 Routing (3/4)Stops (3/4) Complete; rough public_transport v1. 2728 miles (Chicago - San Antonio - Los Angeles). Between San Antonio and Los Angeles, uses same track (route) and stations as Sunset Limited. Tracks around Saint Louis are estimated.

Colors are Amtrak passenger=national routes = blue. As Arizona's national Amtrak routes are all are lengthy overnight trains, these are assigned darker (web safe) blues: Southwest Chief (#000066), Sunset Limited (Navy) and Texas Eagle (#333333).

Regional (passenger=regional) trains (none)

Presently, no "regional rail" exists in Arizona (meduim-distances of 150 km to 1000 km; shorter than passenger=national rail but longer than passenger=suburban "commuter" trains, passenger=urban light-rail and passenger=local trams). Sometimes called "intercity." There are several passenger=regional rail projects being discussed in Arizona. Future project studies included regional rail lines which would run between Phoenix-Tucson, Phoenix-Yuma, Tucson-Nogales, Phoenix-Flagstaff-Winslow, Phoenix-Los Angeles, Phoenix-San Diego and Phoenix-Las Vegas.

"Commuter" (passenger=suburban) trains (none)

Presently, no suburban rail exists in Arizona (heavy-rail up to 150 km, longer than passenger=urban light-rail and passenger=local trams). Sometimes called "commuter" rail.

There are potential future passenger=suburban rail projects being discussed in Arizona, including for

  • Metropolitan Phoenix (Maricopa Association of Governments [MAG] region, with possible Pinal County extension, four potential corridors specified),
  • Metropolitan Tucson (Pima Association of Governments [PAG] region, no corridors specified) and
  • Metropolitan Flagstaff. See Arizona State Rail Plan, Page 16.

City (passenger=urban) trains (VMLR)

Valley Metro Light Rail is a high-capacity transport network serving greater Phoenix, including Sky Harbor International Airport. As of 2018, the system includes two route=light_rail lines named Valley Metro Rail and Phoenix Sky Train. These lines are nearly fully developed in OSM to public_transport:version=2 (v2).

Service Line ref=* Passenger Service type=route_master type=route Status Last Checked Notes
Valley Metro Rail VMLR light_rail relation 1266358 EB relation 7728595
WB relation 7728594
EB
Routing (3/4)Stops (1/4)
WB Routing (3/4)Stops (1/4)
27.65 miles (44.5 km). Now from Dunlap Road and 19th Avenue - Mesa Drive and Main Street. The line is expanding again on the eastern end from the current Mesa Drive terminus to Gilbert Road. The construction tags and the extended rail section have been added to the relation. The stops have not been added. There is also a new 50th street stop that is well along the way that has not been surveyed and added.

ArcGIS Route Map

Phoenix Sky Train PST light_rail relation 4499555 EB relation 4499553
WB relation 4499554
EB
Routing (3/4)Stops (3/4)
WB Routing (3/4)Stops (3/4)
2.73 miles (4.4 km) (Sky Harbor Terminals - East Economy Parking - 44th Street & Washington). Both the rail line and the stops exist. The line is expanding to the west. Eventually the line will connect to the rental car facility. ref=PST is speculative.

Colors for passenger=light_rail lines are Valley Metro Rail = plum, Phoenix Sky Train = blue-gray.

Streetcar/tram (passenger=local) trams (VMLR, ????)

Please clarify distinctions of Old Pueblo Trolley with Tucson SunLink (if any).

Service Line ref=* Passenger Service type=route_master type=route Status Last Checked Notes
Tempe Streetcar TS tram relation 8729960 EB relation 8729958
WB relation 8729959
EB
Routing (0/4)Stops (0/4)
WB Routing (0/4)Stops (0/4)
The route is under heavy development at the moment, expected to open in 2022. The streetcar will route through downtown Tempe, Arizona State University, and Rio Salado Parkway. Construction tags can be added when the area is surveyed. ref=TS is speculative.
Tucson SunLink TSL tram v2 relation is not yet defined relation 3920972 (v1)
Routing (3/4)Stops (0/4)
About 7.2 miles (11.6 km) of shared right-of-way, largely in roadways (as befits a tram). Please add stops/platforms! ref=TSL is speculative.

Colors for passenger=tram lines are Tempe Streetcar = hazel-green, Tucson SunLink = medium-dark-blue.

Historic, heritage, museum, tourism, mining (passenger=local) trains

Three tourist railroads operate in Arizona. The Grand Canyon Railway owns its own dedicated rail corridor and operates daily, interchanging with BNSF at Williams. The Verde Canyon Railroad and Copper Spike Railroad operate on trackage owned by the Arizona Central Railroad and the Arizona Eastern Railroad, respectively. A first table contains route=railway relations.

Subdivision Operator Relation Route TIGER Review Notes
Grand Canyon Railway GCRX relation 9098110 Williams - Willaha - Grand Canyon Fully TIGER Reviewed Tagged usage=branch, should this be tagged usage=tourism? 64 route miles. maxspeed=40 mph.
Verde Canyon Railroad The Western Group, track owned by Arizona Central Railroad Relation not yet defined Cities Served Partially TIGER Reviewed Should be tagged usage=tourism. 20.4 route miles. maxspeed=15 mph.
Copper Spike Railroad Rio Grand Scenic Railroad, track owned by Arizona Eastern Railroad Relation not yet defined Cities Served Partially TIGER Reviewed Should be tagged usage=tourism. 8 route miles. maxspeed=20 mph.

A second table should contain route=train relations. Known destinations/stations and current online/printed schedules are useful sources as passenger rail routes and platform locations develop in OSM.

(Table goes here)

In the USA, passenger=local is sometimes tagged on historic/heritage/museum/tourism/mining route=train relations. Also, passenger=local is sometimes seen on, for example, airport-style railway=monorail or "People Mover" trains (often conductor-less / fully automated) linking airport terminals, rental car areas, long-term parking and correspondences with other transit networks.

Depending on similar Arizona rail facilities (e.g. Daisy Mountain Railroad in Anthem, the railway=miniature at World Wildlife Zoo near Luke AFB, a railway=narrow_gauge in Safford...), create a new section/table for amusement park and similar rail. California has substantial amusement park rail (and similar private rail), California/Railroads' section on Tourism rail struggles with similar categorization and tagging. Map your best, wiki your best!

Yards

Enter a stub Yards table here.