Santa Maria Valley Railroad, LLC (SMVR), which is not currently a rail carrier, plans to acquire and operate two rail lines in Santa Barbara County, California. They intend to: (1) buy a line from Coast Belle Rail, LLC, and (2) take over the operation of another line leased from Union Pacific Railroad Company. This change means that SMVR will take over from Coast Belle as the common carrier, but their revenues are expected to remain under $5 million. The transaction is anticipated to start on or after April 12, 2025, and is exempt from certain environmental and historic preservation reviews.
Simple Explanation
A company called Santa Maria Valley Railroad is planning to take over two train tracks from other companies in California. They will start running the trains soon, but they are not expected to make a lot of money from it.