Not so fast to kill the goose, gentlemen,
Try on an alternate scenario: If the plant shuts permanently, the ROW is worthless to UP, which would rather sell it to the County Transportation Commission on the cheap than just file for abandonment. Previously, several operators had expressed interest in the line if purchased, so one steps up and gets a contract that includes the limited passenger operation long debated by the citizenry plus active marketing to additional freight customers with incentive pricing. For example, Graniterock's Quail Hollow Quarry in Felton could move its sand by interchanging with SCBT&P, as could high-tech manufacturer Plantronics. Infrared products manufacturer Raytek Corp. lives right next to the UP on the west side of Santa Cruz. There are numerous smaller manufacturers that probably have never been approached about the advantages of rail over trucking (in Santa Cruz, the environmental benefits would hold great sway if even mentioned).

And, by the way, we're not all pot-smoking, brain-dead losers. None of these threads is advanced by broad-brush insinuations.
Chuck in Santa Cruz