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RAIL EMPLOYMENT & NOTICES


News

Rail News Home Short Lines & Regionals

6/12/2025



Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals

OmniTRAX begins operating Santa Maria Valley Railroad


Yesterday, local officials joined OmniTRAX CEO Dean Piacente (fourth from left) and VP of Corporate Development Scott Remington (fifth from left), and Santa Maria Valley Railroad Assistant GM Belinda Popovich (sixth from left) and President Rob Himoto (seventh from left) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the new joint venture partnership.
Photo – OmniTRAX

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OmniTRAX Inc. today began operating the Santa Maria Valley Railroad in a joint venture with Coast Belle Rail Corp. in California.

Coast Belle Rail has been the 114-year-old railroad's owner for the past 20 years, OmniTRAX officials said in a press release.

The railroad is located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, providing commercial and agricultural customers in the Santa Maria Valley a connection to coastal ports and the North American rail network. Consisting of 14.7 miles of main line, the railroad also interchanges with Union Pacific Railroad in Guadalupe.

"To keep pace with California's dynamic growth, we sought a partner with the resources to grow with us and the cultural values that align with the spirit of the line," said Santa Maria Valley Railroad President Rob Himoto.

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad marks the 29th railroad in OmniTRAX's national rail network. With last month's addition of the Port Muskogee Railroad, OmniTRAX now operates 30 railroads.