Carrizo Gorge Railway

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Carrizo Gorge Railway

Reporting marks	CZRY
Locale	Imperial Valley-San Diego, California
Dates of operation	2002–present
Track gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters	Lakeside, California

The Carrizo Gorge Railway (AAR reporting mark CZRY) was created in 2001 to provide passenger and freight service along the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway line between Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, and Plaster City, California, United States. The other freight operator on the SD&AE, the SD&IV, did not want to invest the $5.5 million necessary to repair the collapsed tunnels and bridges in the Carrizo Gorge.

Photo of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway trestle in Carrizo Gorge.

The owners of CZRY, however, believed that the investment would be worthwhile and negotiated trackage rights on the line. The agreement required a fee of 6.9% of the gross revenues from any freight on the SD&AE's Desert Line to Plaster City and $200 per car on any car that would have been brought by the SD&IV to the Coast Line.

Sand hauling is the primary business for the CZRY. The sand is used in making ready-mixed concrete for the construction markets in San Diego County. There is also minor traffic of other goods between the U.S. and Mexico. Rail car storage is another revenue source.