The original Sacramento Southern Railroad ran south 24.3 miles (39.1 km) to Walnut Grove, California via Freeport and was a non-operating subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company incorporated in 1903.

[3] It was merged in 1912 with the Central Pacific Railroad upon completion of the line to Walnut Grove.

[3] The railroad later became a part of the SP system who filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line, and did so on October 10, 1978.

[3] Recent years have seen a resurgence in the road's freight business, serving a number of local industries via an interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Future plans call for expanding operations southward into the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta area.