I believe that the SCRTC owns the line and holds the franchise (Certificate of Public Necessity) from the U S Surface Transportation Board and as such has the Common Carrier responsibility to provide service to the customers.

SCRTC has in the past fulfilled this responsibility by contracting with initially the Sierra Northern and now with the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Railway (SCMB) to perform this function. While the Sierra Northern is still a Common Carrier with its own properties it would have been a Contract Operator on the Santa Cruz line. The SCMB may be a Common Carrier but in this case is merely a Contract Operator for the SCRTC who is ultimately on the hook to provide service.

Union Pacific still had the Common Carrier responsibility to provide service prior to the sale in which case they sent track and bridge inspection crews in ahead of assigning their own switch crews to handle the business after the Sierra Northern left town.

Dick Samuels
Oregon Pacific Railroad