Line names taken from CPUC data.^[4]

• Fresno – Exeter – Strathmore (Exeter Subdivision; former SP)
• Exeter – Goshen Jct. (Goshen Subdivision; former SP)
• Goshen Jct. – Hanford – Huron (Hanford Subdivision; former SP)
• Exeter - Lindsay (Porterville Subdivision; former ATSF)
• Burrel – Helm – Tranquility – Ingle (Riverdale Branch; former SP)
• Oxalis – Mendota – Ingle – Kerman – Fresno (West Side Subdivision; former SP)
• Fresno – Clovis (Clovis Subdivision; former ATSF and SP)
• Famoso – Hollis (North Joint Subdivision; former SP)
• Maltha – Oil Jct. (Oil City Subdivision; former ATSF/SP)
• Oil Jct. – Landco (Landco Subdivision; former ATSF)
• Bakersfield – Gosford – Buttonwillow (Buttonwillow Subdivision; former SP)
• Gosford – Millux (Sunset Subdivision; former Sunset Railway)
• Algoso – Arvin (Arvin Subdivision; former ATSF/SP)
• Trackage rights over UP from Fresno – Algoso (near Bakersfield) via Goshen Jct. (former SP)

West Side Line edit

This mainline route was formerly known as Southern Pacific's "West Side Line" and at one time extended from Tracy, California and then south through the West side of the San Joaquin Valley (I-5 corridor) via Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Los Banos, Oxalis and then east to Fresno via Ingle and Kerman. California Northern Railroad now operates the northern section of the line from Tracy - Los Banos. SJVR operates the southern section of the line from Oxalis to Fresno and was at one time owned by Port Railroads, Inc. (PRI; also a Kyle subsidiary) and operated by the SJVR. On April 24, 1996, the PRI was merged into the SJVR. Both the PRI and SJVR were already Kyle Railway subsidiaries. The section of track between Los Banos and Oxalis was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1993 and the tracks were removed soon after.

The Southern Pacific constructed the track from Tracy to Newman (37 miles) and from Los Banos to Armona (near Fresno) in 1891. Southern Pacific's overnight Owl passenger train (#57/58) operated over this line between San Francisco and Los Angeles into 1965.

Exeter Subdivision edit

In 2008, the Surface Transportation Board approved the abandonment of the section of track between Strathmore and Jovista. This left the communities of Strathmore, Porterville, Terra Bella, Ducor, and Richgrove without any rail service. Tulare County broke off negotiations with the SJVR to purchase this section of track to preserve it for future use and possible reactivation, because beginning in September 2010, the tracks were being removed by the SJVR and the job was completed with the entire line having been pulled up in mid November. By March 2015, the SJVR embargoed the line with the rails spiked at the south end of Exeter with some crossing signals south already having been partially dismantled. This section of track, which runs approximately 8 miles to Lindsay was pending formal abandonment whereupon the rails were expected to be immediately pulled up upon STB approval. However the Cross Valley Corridor passenger train service is planning to upgrade the tracks to Lindsay and rebuild them to Porterville.^[5]

Clovis Branch edit

This mainline route was built by the Minarets and Western Railway in 1921 and went front from Friant to Wishon and connected with the Southern Pacific which operated the southern portion of the line with joint trackage rights. The Minarets and Western was owned by the Sugar Pine Lumber Company and was built the same year the lumber company was incorporated so that it could haul timber from the forest. During the Great Depression in 1933, the lumber company went bankrupt. The track north of Friant was abandoned and the Pinedale Branch was bought by Southern Pacific, where it was later known as the Pinedale Spur of the Clovis Branch. Southern Pacific later sold the spur and Clovis Branch to the SJVR which abandoned the line above North Sabre Drive in the mid 1990s and today the Pinedale Spur is preserved as the Fresno-Clovis Rail Trail.^[6]

Visalia District edit

The Visalia District ran from Corcoran, California to Calwa, California. The line was originally built by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad and later acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. ATSF sold this line to the Tulare Valley Railroad on December 22, 1992. The TVRR did not use the segments from Corcoran to Tulare or Visalia to Cutler. Visalia was served until 1993 and Tulare was served until 1994. Subsequently, all of the track between Calwa and Corcoran was abandoned and removed by 1994 except for short sections at LacJac (near Reedley) and a 4-mile segment between Visalia and Tulare (Ambler- connection with Goshen Subdivision, to Loma- now called the Loma Industrial Lead, which is operated as part of the Goshen Subdivision).

Porterville-Orosi District edit

The Porterville-Orosi District was constructed by the Minkler Southern Railway, itself controlled by the Santa Fe through ownership of the entire capital stock. The line was built in 1913 and 1914. The TVRR acquired this line from the ATSF on December 22, 1992. The line ran from Minkler to Ducor, CA; south of Ducor, the ATSF ran via trackage rights on the Southern Pacific's Exeter Branch to Famoso, and then to Bakersfield on the Bakersfield Subdivision, where the line split off and entered the ATSF yard. Most of this line has been abandoned and pulled up; remaining sections include the Porterville Subdivision between Exeter and Lindsay, and the Landco Subdivision in Bakersfield.

The railroad's main traffic sources are petroleum gas and agricultural products. In 2008, the SJVR hauled around 39,000 carloads.^[2]

The railroad operates GP15-1s, GP40-2s, GP28s, GP20s, GP38s, GP38-2s, BL20-2s, and SE24Bs.^[7]

• List of United States railroads
• List of California railroads
• RailAmerica

• Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide 5th ed. (Kalmbach Publishing, 1996)
• Mike Walker, SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California/Nevada Post Merger Edition, (Steam Powered Publishing & SPV, 1997) Ownership and detail of rail lines.

• Official website