The Northern Electric Railway—Marysville and Colusa Branch was an interurbanbranch railroad which ran from a junction with the Northern Electric Railway mainline near Yuba City (Colusa Junction) then west for 22.39 miles (36.03 km) to Colusa. The company was incorporated on June 6, 1910. Construction of the branch commenced in December 1911 and was completed on June 13, 1913.[1] The Northern Electric Railway—Marysville and Colusa Branch operated under lease to the Northern Electric Railway.[2]
On June 30, 1918, the Northern Electric Railway was sold to the Sacramento Northern Railroad, which would later become the Sacramento Northern Railway. Passenger service along the Colusa Branch ended on October 31, 1940.[3]
The track between Tarke and Colusa was abandoned prior to 1974. The branch was later known as the Tarke Branch. Abandonment of the Tarke Branch was applied for in the early 1980s by Sacramento Northern's parent, Western Pacific Railroad. The track was eventually abandoned between Sutter and Tarke. In 2007, Western Pacific's successor, the Union Pacific Railroad, abandoned the remainder of the branch west of Colusa Junction as part of the abandonment of all former SN lines in Yuba City. Portions of the roadbed east of the grade crossing on Acacia Avenue in Sutter have been converted to a mixed-use bicycle/walking trail.
This should not be confused with the Colusa and Lake Railroad line which ran between Colusa and Colusa Junction, present day Lurline Avenue. This Colusa Junction is west of Colusa at Old Highway 99 and Lurline Avenue.[5]
