Reno Train Trench Construction

Construction on the Union Pacific train trench in downtown Reno. This project, known as ReTRAC, took surface-level railroad tracks and put them underground to avoid automotive traffic. Temporary tracks were run down Commercial Row during construction. Here a temporary depot was built east of the old historic depot. The old Southern Pacific Freight House is the to left.

Date Uploaded: May 11, 2026

Permanent Link: http://wnhpc.com/details/flickr33038360144

Contributor: By Air, Land and Sea on Flickr

Source: Flickr: By Air, Land and Sea

Source URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/103688802@N02/33038360144/

Source Caption: This temporary station was located just east of North Lake Street.

At this time, the Union Pacific Railroad was engaged in a project to put its mainline tracks in a trench through downtown Reno. The project, called ReTRAC, eliminated several grade crossings through the downtown area, and required a major re-working of the existing Amtrak (ex-Southern Pacific) station. The original station can be seen to the right-center of the picture. The completed trench opened to rail traffic on November 18, 2005.

Today (2017), the track and temporary station are gone; Evans Avenue runs (north-south) right though where the temporary station building stands in this photo and right past the front of the "Freight House" building seen at the left. The rear annex of the Freight House building has been removed and the entire property in the background of this photo is now occupied by the Aces Ballpark.

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