The Southern Pacific Railroad was started in 1865. The Railroad was heavily in California, the southwest and Texas. It absorbed many railroads over the years. It also had a lion share of traffic in Oregon.
It was the main line between Oregon and California (after absorbing the O&C Railroad). It controlled most shipping in the Willamette Valley.
The only real competitor was the Oregon Electric Railroad. In response to the OE providing fast and convenient interurban passenger service in the valley, the SP started the Red Electric Service linking Portland and Corvallis. The OE and the Red Electric were highly competitive in the Portland metro area. However in the Willamette Valley the OE hit all the major towns, Wilsonville, Woodburn (via a spur), Salem, Albany and Eugene. The Red Electric went via Newburg, McMinnville and ended in Corvallis. SP had plan to electrify the SP valley mainline which hit all the OE cities, but it never came to fruition.
The OE however in the long term was a small competition, in the freight business SP reigned supreme. Passenger service ultimately declined.
In 1996 the SP was absorbed into the Union Pacific Railroad and the SP name went into oblivion.... And passenger service is run by Amtrak in cooperation with ODOT.
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