SMVRR joint venture with OmniTrax
On June 11, 2025, a SMVRR Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held in the Osburn Rail Yard. Santa Maria Valley Railroad’s newest locomotive, OLMX 2025, was the backdrop for the ceremony. The Ribbon Cutting marks the celebration of OmniTRAX joint venture partnership with Coast Belle Rail Corp. This is OmniTRAX’s 29th rail operation, the first railroad as a joint venture partnership, the previous railroads were acquisitions. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad has been under family control for 100 years. Captain G. Allan Hancock and his descendants ran the railroad from 1925 to 2006 when they sold the railroad to Coast Belle Rail Corp led by Rob Himoto and his family. Family control will continue as OmniTRAX is the largest privately owned short line railroad family operation led by Pat Broe and his family.
On March 12, 2025, the SMVRR opened a new chapter and entered into a joint venture with Omnitrax! This new joint venture will allow the SMVRR to continue to grow the railroad, improve infrastructure, and improve customer service! With Omnitrax the railroad shares the same family, safety, operations, and customer service culture.
OmniTRAX, one of North America’s fastest growing privately held rail management companies, has entered into a joint venture for the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. The acquisition is a joint venture partnership with Coast Belle Rail Corporation, the local operator of the railroad since 2006.
“The Santa Maria Railroad has been vital to the valley for decades and this new partnership adds the resources, relationships, and real estate development capacities to ensure that this century old railroad continues to serve Californians for generations to come,” said Santa Maria Valley Railroad President Rob Himoto.
Click here for the OmniTrax press release.