The route is primarily used for freight, but Amtrak operates passenger trains over the line. The California Zephyr runs the entire route while the Capitol Corridor terminates in Auburn, California with service to the south and west. As of 2003[update] the line sees 15 freight trains daily.[3]
Southern Pacific undertook double-tracking large portions of the route starting in 1909.[4][5] The track through Tunnel Number 6 at the summit was mothballed (though not formally abandoned) in 1993.[6]
Between 2002 and 2005, the right of way was depressed into a trench through Reno to eliminate the 11 level crossings in the downtown area.[7] By 2009 the line had been upgraded to allow the shipping of double-stacked containers in trains 9,000 feet (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) long.[8]