Arizona and California Railway The mainline now used by ARZC was originally constructed between 1903 and 1910 by the Arizona and California Railway. The line between A&C Junction, AZ, and Parker opened by June 1907. The Colorado River bridge near Parker was completed in June 1908 and the track connection in Cadiz, California was made on June 10, 1910; service to Cadiz commenced on July 1. In 1909, the
Arizona and Swansea Railroad that connected
Swansea from Bouse was completed. On November 22, 1921, a rail motor car carrying Santa Fe officials derailed north of Wickenburg, with five killed and four injured. A&C Junction was renamed Matthie in honor of the Albuquerque Division superintendent William Matthie.
Rice to Ripley branch In 1914, the California Southern Railroad (not to be confused with the
earlier railroad linking
Barstow and
San Diego) was incorporated to build from a town then known as Blythe Junction (now
Rice, California) to Blythe. The first spike was pounded on August 23, 1915 by Floyd Brown. The
Interstate Commerce Commission reported the line as the longest built in the country in 1915. On March 12, 2009, citing declining revenues and worn out track structure, the ARZC petitioned the
Surface Transportation Board to abandon all but the first four miles of the Ripley branch line. In its petition, the ARZC said no trains had run over the line since late 2007 and the cost to repair the branch line would be significant. On June 30, 2009, the Surface Transportation Board granted the ARZC petition. A Blythe area committee formed to oppose the petition had found a customer willing to purchase the line, the owner of the
BG&CM Railroad of Idaho. By January 14, 2010, the Surface Transportation Board terminated the offer of financial assistance for the railroad. The rail line was scrapped in 2011 beyond the first four miles from Rice. ==Rolling stock==