Los Angeles and Independence Railroad
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| Locale | Santa Monica to Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1875–1909 |
| Predecessor | None |
| Successor | Santa Monica Air Line |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) |
| Length | 16.67 miles (26.83 km) |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, CA |
The Los Angeles and Independence Railroad, opened on October 17, 1875, was a steam-powered rail line which ran between a long wharf north of the current Santa Monica Pier and 5th and San Pedro streets in downtown Los Angeles.
Intended to eventually reach San Bernardino and Independence via Cajon Pass to serve the Cerro Gordo Silver Mines near Panamint, the line was never extended past downtown Los Angeles and was eventually acquired by Southern Pacific Railroad.
The right-of-way was purchased by Los Angeles Metro in 1990 and is now used for the Expo Line light rail line.
The Los Angeles and Independence Railroad Company was incorporated in January 1875 with Francisco P. Temple, John P. Jones, Robert S. Baker, T. N. Park, James A. Pritchard, J. S. Slauson, and J. U. Crawford, as directors. Col. Crawford was the engineer and general manager.
The 16.67 miles (26.83 km) of track between Los Angeles and Santa Monica were privately built without government subsidies or land grants, all in a little over ten months - primarily using 67 Chinese laborers imported for the task. Right-of-way between Los Angeles and Santa Monica was given by local ranchers who were anxious to have access to a railroad. The line opened October 17, 1875, with two trains a day running between Santa Monica and Los Angeles; the fare was fixed at $1.00 per trip, freight at $1.00 per ton.
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