Baja California Railroad

BJRR's biggest clients are Z Gas, North StarGas, Empacadora Rosarito, and Heineken Brewery in Tecate, which receives large amounts of grain and corn syrup imports.{{cite web|title=Promueve Baja Rail Road transporte de carga en tren|url=http://www.diariotijuana.info/promueve-baja-rail-road-transporte-de-carga-en-tren/|first=Roberto|last=Santillán|publisher=Diario Tijuana|date=October 4, 2015|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118143530/http://www.diariotijuana.info/promueve-baja-rail-road-transporte-de-carga-en-tren/|archive-date=November 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Other clients receive shipments such as borax, pig lard, lumber, steel, paper, and cattle feed.{{cite web|title=Aumentará competitividad de B.C. con obras de la vía corta|url=http://www.diariotijuana.info/aumentara-competitividad-de-b-c-con-obras-de-la-via-corta/|first=Roberto|last=Santillán|publisher=Diario Tijuana|date=October 11, 2015|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118140346/http://www.diariotijuana.info/aumentara-competitividad-de-b-c-con-obras-de-la-via-corta/|archive-date=November 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Operations began in 2012, using {{convert|71.48|km}} of the former track of the {{lang|es|Ferrocarril Tijuana y Tecate|italic=no}}, which was constructed in 1910 by the San Diego & Arizona Railway from San Diego to El Centro. The BJRR is the technical operating and maintenance assistant of the rail line's Baja California segment under agreement from the railroad's operator, ADMICARGA.

In February 2013, the local Baja California directors of BJRR announced an investment of $20 million to upgrade the neglected track. The first area to be developed was the first {{convert|20|km}} from the border in Tijuana to El Florido as far as Matanuco. Work started in May 2013 with the building of the Tijuana railroad yard; the focus was on more track capacity, in conjunction with the upcoming San Ysidro Freight Rail Yard Improvement Project by SANDAG.

In June 2016, Baja California Railroad secured a 100-year lease with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) to rehabilitate and operate an additional {{convert|112.75|km}} of track in the United States between Campo, California and Plaster City, California. The line, with 57 bridges and 17 tunnels, will be rehabilitated in three phases: Phase 1, Campo to Jacumba Hot Springs, California; phase 2, Dos Cabezas (near Ocotillo Wells, California) to Plaster City; and phase 3, from Jacumba to Dos Cabezas.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bajarr.com/en/desert-line/|title=DESERT LINE {{!}} Baja Railroad|website=www.bajarr.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-08}}{{Primary source inline|date=September 2019}} The railroad paid SDMTS $1 million per year to retain its lease;{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Joshua Emerson |date=7 February 2019 |title=Baja Railroad's overhaul of MTS-owned Desert Line appears stuck in the sand |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/sd-me-desert-line-update-20190207-story.html |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune |access-date=7 September 2019 }} Baja California Railroad stopped paying SDMTS beginning in 2020, breaking its lease.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=James Emerson |date=13 November 2021 |title=San Diego MTS determined to rehab 'Impossible Railroad' despite latest setback in the desert |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/transportation/story/2021-11-13/mts-desert-line-rehab |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |location= |access-date=13 November 2021}}

File:Estaciones BJRR.jpg

Tijuana Station is located immediately to the south of the US San Ysidro Port of Entry. The station is now in a {{convert|1000|m2|adj=on}} three-story building that contains new administrative offices, an operations and logistics control center, offices for ADMICARGA (the railroad's operator), customs control, a customs agency (broker), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the State Committee of Vegetable Sanitation (CESV). There is also space for sixty-eight {{convert|60|ft|adj=on}} cars.{{cite web|title=Buscan mejorar vía férrea de Tijuana-Tecate|url=http://www.el-mexicano.com.mx/informacion/noticias/1/3/estatal/2015/08/30/880713/buscan-mejorar-via-ferrea-de-tijuana-tecate|first=Adán|last=Mondragón|publisher=El Mexicano|date=August 30, 2015|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-date=July 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710213845/http://www.el-mexicano.com.mx//informacion/noticias/1/3/estatal/2015/08/30/880713/buscan-mejorar-via-ferrea-de-tijuana-tecate|url-status=dead}} The original railway station, built in the late 1920s, will become a railway museum.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

García Station is farther east, near La Mesa of Tijuana municipality. It has a {{convert|470|m2|adj=on}} two-story building with a reception area and offices for customer service, administration, and logistics. Also, after renovations, the storage capacity was increased to {{convert|3400|m2}}, of which {{convert|435|m2}} is for cold storage.{{cite web|title=Buscan mejorar vías del ferrocarril para aumentar competitividad mega región|url=http://eltijuanense.com/index.php/9-noticias/tijuana/15564-buscan-mejorar-vias-del-ferrocarril-para-aumentar-competitividad-mega-region|publisher=El Tijuanense|date=August 31, 2015|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118165429/http://eltijuanense.com/index.php/9-noticias/tijuana/15564-buscan-mejorar-vias-del-ferrocarril-para-aumentar-competitividad-mega-region|archive-date=2015-11-18|url-status=dead}}

In addition to freight trains, the Baja California Railroad's track is also used by the Tijuana-Tecate Tourist Train ({{langx|es|Tren Turístico Tijuana-Tecate}}).{{cite web |title=Tren Turístico Tijuana - Tecate {{!}} RETYS |url=https://retys.bajacalifornia.gob.mx/Portal/TyS/1242?temaId=22 |website=retys.bajacalifornia.gob.mx |publisher=Government of Baja California |access-date=12 February 2024}}{{cite web |title=SIDURT Gobierno de Baja California |url=http://www.sidue.gob.mx/Noticias/Nota.aspx?id=256 |website=www.sidue.gob.mx |publisher=Federal government of Mexico |access-date=12 February 2024}} This service consists of a round trip from García Station to Tecate. Rolling stock consists of vintage Gallery Cars (described by The San Diego Union-Tribune as a "60-year old double decker train") hauled by one of the BJRR's locomotives.{{cite web |last1=Tamayo |first1=Alejandro |last2=Mendoza |first2=Alexandra |title=All aboard! The beloved Tijuana-Tecate tourist train returns. |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/4ron-ijke0m-123 |website=The San Diego Union-Tribune |access-date=12 February 2024 |language=en |date=2 February 2024}}

The tourist train has been active since at least 2009.{{cite web |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Omar Millan |title=Tijuana-to-Tecate rail tour has been picking up steam |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-tijuana-to-tecate-rail-tour-has-been-picking-up-2010oct03-story.html |website=The San Diego Union-Tribune |access-date=12 February 2024 |date=3 October 2010 |quote="According to the railway administration [ie, ADMICARGA], from Oct. 24, 2009, to Aug. 21 of this year, the Tijuana-Tecate tourist train made 12 trips with a total of almost 4,000 passengers."}} The train's operations were suspended from 2020 to 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, in December 2023, Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, the Governor of Baja California, announced that the tourist train would return on January 27, 2024.{{cite web |title=Tijuana-Tecate Tourist Train Returns |url=https://mexicobusiness.news/mobility/news/tijuana-tecate-tourist-train-returns |website=Mexico Business |date=29 December 2023 |access-date=12 February 2024 |language=en |quote="...Marina del Pilar Ávila, announced that the tourist train will start operations on Jan. 27, 2024."}}{{cite web |title=Baja California también tendrá su tren turístico, arrancará su recorrido de Tijuana a Tecate en enero del 2024 |url=https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/baja-california-tambien-tendra-su-tren-turistico-arrancara-su-recorrido-de-tijuana-a-tecate-en-enero-del-2024/ |website=El Universal |language=es}} As promised, the train would run again on January 27{{cite web |title=Tren Turístico Tijuana-Tecate 27 Enero 2024 |url=https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=BC.ADMICARGA&set=a.395728726185289&locale=en |website=Facebook |publisher=ADMICARGA |access-date=12 February 2024 |language=Spanish |date=29 January 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Caro |first1=Jorge |title=EL TREN LLEGÓ CARGADO DE TURISTAS A TECATE 🚂 |url=https://www.facebook.com/BC.ADMICARGA/posts/394749069616588?__cft__[0]=AZX7rM4Kny9o_uKRq1c1KX2KEg4TIvNuTHlETFd_eYsP1xaab5p2EXf96lYMGd7DXQw6iw0vRQEyOpIUJp4jDNnaJQkCMucmvUASLSP5KlhdZzHlQ584KgvYdm3fjCUgLGRa38hXVz_qRZ36xa1N-zcmIQ_ZIyrpSn8txAChKNVhZWVIFSC4pCQrlC0ijuB0y9s7TiGacO4i50u81p0n6hz0&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R |website=Facebook |publisher=Radar Tecate |access-date=12 February 2024 |language=Spanish |date=27 January 2024}} that year, and another run, with a Valentine's Day theme, is scheduled to happen on February 17.{{cite web |last1=Mendoza |first1=Alexandra |title=The Tijuana-Tecate tourist train is back. Hop aboard for music, history and that namesake beer |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/story/2024-02-03/tijuana-tecate-tourist-train |website=The San Diego Union-Tribune |access-date=12 February 2024 |date=3 February 2024}}

{{reflist}}

{{California railroads}}

Category:Railway companies established in 2010

Category:Railway companies of Mexico

Category:Standard-gauge railways in Mexico