HAPPENING TODAY, A CELEBRATION OF OUR REGION’S RICH RAILROAD HISTORY. KCRA 3’S MELANIE WINGO JOINING US NOW LIVE FROM SACRAMENTO VALLEY STATION, WHERE SHE’LL BOARD A TRAIN TO FOLSOM THIS MORNING TO MARK THE DAY. MELANIE. YES, IT’S A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HOP A TRAIN TODAY FROM SACRAMENTO VALLEY STATION ALL THE WAY OUT TO FOLSOM. AND IT IS IN HONOR OF 170 YEARS OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD LINE GOING FROM DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO TO FOLSOM. SO TODAY’S CELEBRATION IS REALLY A HAT TIP TO FOLSOM RAILROAD LEGACY. EVENT PLANNERS SAY IT’S A CHANCE TO HONOR THE ROUTE THAT BUILT A REGION BACK IN 1856. THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD, WHICH CONNECTED SACRAMENTO AND FOLSOM, WAS COMPLETED, AND THAT TRANSFORMED COMMERCE AND MOBILITY ACROSS THE REGION. ALSO HAPPENING TODAY, THEODORE JUDAH, THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY RAILROAD AND VISIONARY OF FOLSOM’S ORIGINAL TOWN SITE, WILL BE HONORED 200 YEARS TO THE DAY OF HIS BIRTH. SO, TO COMMEMORATE THESE ANNIVERSARIES, THE CITY OF FOLSOM IS INVITING THE COMMUNITY OUT TO CELEBRATE. IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE RAILROAD, FOLSOM WOULD HAVE DISAPPEARED. PROBABLY JUST LIKE OTHER MINING TOWNS. AFTER THE GOLD RUSH. AND SO IT’S REALLY THE RAILROAD IS THE REASON THAT WE’RE HERE TODAY. AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT’S IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE THAT HISTORY, TO HONOR THAT HISTORY. THAT COMMUNITY EVENT HAPPENING IN HISTORIC FOLSOM STATION PLAZA TODAY. THERE WILL ALSO BE DISPLAYS OF HISTORIC ARTIFACTS. AND COMING UP IN OUR 9:00 HOUR ON MY58, WE WILL BE ON THAT TRAIN ON OUR WAY TO FOLSOM SO WE CAN NOT ONLY SHOW YOU THE SYSTEM, THE ROUTE THAT MADE THE REGION, SO TO SPEAK, BUT ALSO WE’LL SHOW YOU WHAT’S HAPPENING IN HISTORIC FOLSOM A LITTLE BIT LATER THIS MORNING. REPORTING LIVE IN SACRAMENTO, MELANIE WINGO KCRA THREE NEWS. MELANIE, YOU ALWAYS GET THE GREAT ASSIGNMENTS. THAT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUN. YES, I’VE BEEN PRACTICING MY ALL ABOARD ALL MORNING IN THE NEWS CAR, MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF MASON, MY PHOTOGRAPHER. I THINK YOU NAILED IT. OKAY, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT FOR SURE.
‘The route that built a region.’ Folsom to celebrate Sacramento Valley Railroad history
170th anniversary of Sacramento Valley Railroad’s completion
Updated: 5:46 PM PST Mar 4, 2026
The greater Sacramento region’s railroad history will be recognized on Wednesday with a celebration event in Folsom.The city is celebrating the 170th anniversary of the completion of the Sacramento Valley Railroad.Event planners say it’s a chance to honor “the route that built a region.” In 1856, the Sacramento Valley Railroad, which connected Sacramento and Folsom, was completed, and according to historians, that transformed commerce and mobility across the region.”If it weren’t for the railroad, Folsom would have disappeared, probably just like other mining towns after the Gold Rush,” said city of Folsom councilmember and former mayor Sarah Aquino. “The railroad is the reason that we’re here today. And… it’s important to celebrate that history, to honor that history.”The city of Folsom is also set to honor Theodore Judah, the chief engineer of the Sacramento Valley Railroad and visionary of Folsom’s original town site — 200 years to the day of his birth.Wednesday’s event commemorating these anniversaries will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Historic Folsom Station Plaza. Folsom is inviting the community out to celebrate and learn from a collection of activities, artifacts, speakers and the operation of a railroad turntable.”Folsom has done a great job with the restoration of the turntable. We still have our depot building. We’ve got the Y property and the Southern Pacific superintendent’s house,” Aquino said. “We have a lot of amenities, in our portfolio that date back to our railroad history, and we just we want to keep those alive for the next generation.”For an itinerary of the day’s events, visit here on the city of Folsom website.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
FOLSOM, Calif. —
The greater Sacramento region’s railroad history will be recognized on Wednesday with a celebration event in Folsom.
The city is celebrating the 170th anniversary of the completion of the Sacramento Valley Railroad.
Event planners say it’s a chance to honor “the route that built a region.” In 1856, the Sacramento Valley Railroad, which connected Sacramento and Folsom, was completed, and according to historians, that transformed commerce and mobility across the region.
“If it weren’t for the railroad, Folsom would have disappeared, probably just like other mining towns after the Gold Rush,” said city of Folsom councilmember and former mayor Sarah Aquino. “The railroad is the reason that we’re here today. And… it’s important to celebrate that history, to honor that history.”
The city of Folsom is also set to honor Theodore Judah, the chief engineer of the Sacramento Valley Railroad and visionary of Folsom’s original town site — 200 years to the day of his birth.
Wednesday’s event commemorating these anniversaries will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Historic Folsom Station Plaza. Folsom is inviting the community out to celebrate and learn from a collection of activities, artifacts, speakers and the operation of a railroad turntable.
“Folsom has done a great job with the restoration of the turntable. We still have our depot building. We’ve got the Y property and the Southern Pacific superintendent’s house,” Aquino said. “We have a lot of amenities, in our portfolio that date back to our railroad history, and we just we want to keep those alive for the next generation.”
For an itinerary of the day’s events, visit here on the city of Folsom website.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel