The San Luis Central Railroad, established in 1913, was originally built to transport freight across Colorado’s San Luis Valley, connecting the town of Center to the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad near Monte Vista. Over the decades, it withstood the test of time until its eventual acquisition by the Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad. Following the purchase, the line was rebranded as the Colorado Pacific San Luis.
In this ‘what if’ scenario, the line was never sold to Colorado Pacific or renamed. Instead, it remained under its original ownership, with Sur Rail contracted to handle its operations and maintenance.
Despite being only 13.74 miles long, the railroad maintains near-daily operations between Center and Sugar Junction, its sole connection to the outside world via the San Luis Rio Grande. Operations are typically coordinated with the Denver Terminal Railway’s San Luis Rio Grande line at Sugar Junction, facilitating the transport of fertilizer to customers, as well as shipments of potatoes, wheat, and barley.