I have lived in the shadow of the Union Pacific Wellton Branch freight train corridor for years. This inactive structure has been out of service since 1996, yet it continues to loom over our community as a constant reminder of an era gone by. The corridor is not only an eyesore but also poses potential safety risks due to its deteriorating condition.

The Union Pacific Wellton Branch was once a bustling route for freight trains, but it has been silent and unused for more than two decades now. It's time we reclaim this space and put it to better use that benefits our community.

The Wellton Branch, also known as the “Wellton Cutoff” or the “Phoenix-West Line”, is a Union Pacific (UP)-owned track which runs west from the end of the Phoenix Subdivision, west of Buckeye, to a junction with the mainline Sunset Route at Wellton. What was formerly the Southern Pacific’s “Wellton-Picacho Cutoff” through Phoenix is today divided into UP’s Wellton Branch to the west and the Phoenix Subdivision to the east. Southern Pacific (SP) completed this north cutoff in 1926, primarily to enable Golden State and Sunset Limited passenger trains to pass directly through Phoenix. Between Phoenix Union Station and Wellton Junction there are 137 miles of single track, with a few sidings. Aside from a few 50-60 mph curved sections, most of the route is very straight and could easily accommodate 79 mph or faster trains if the track were refurbished and reopened.

We are not alone in this struggle. Across the country, similar outdated infrastructures are being dismantled or repurposed into public spaces like rail trails which are ideal for hikers, cyclists, pedestrians, and horseback riders, (source: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy). Our community deserves the same opportunity to transform this obsolete structure into something more beneficial and futuristic than ever before.

Let's work together towards a safer and more vibrant neighborhood by asking the Union Pacific Railroad to dismantle the inactive Union Pacific Wellton Branch freight train corridor.

Please sign this petition when it is convenient for you all!