Rail Runner returns
Passenger service is scheduled to resume Monday after almost a year of empty trains
It’s not exactly “all aboard” for the New Mexico Rail Runner.
But “some aboard” still has a pretty good ring to it.
The Rail Runner will begin running with passengers once again next week following a nearly yearlong shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The passenger train service — a 65-mile route between Belen and Santa Fe — has rolled only as a ghost train since mid-March of last year, partly to keep rail crews sharp and to avoid having trains and equipment sit idle.
The ghost runs also allowed crews to install and test a federally required $60 million safety backup system intended to help avoid accidents, such as striking a car on the tracks, by overriding an engineer who reacts too slowly.
The Rio Metro Regional Transit District, which oversees the stateowned train, announced this week the passenger service would resume
Monday and will follow state public health guidelines to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The announcement likely will please onetime passengers who have had to find alternate travel between Albuquerque and Santa Fe while train service has been halted the past year.
“It’s really good news to me,” said Ezequiel Montoya, a Santa Fe banker who lives in Albuquerque. He has driven to work since the shutdown of the Rail Runner. “It’s been about a year since I’ve used it. It worked out perfect for my schedule.”
The service will begin again on a limited basis on weekdays, with no weekend service for now, and rider capacity will be limited to 25 percent, or 160 seats, for social distancing. The schedule is available at riometro.org/ weekdayschedule.
Spokeswoman Augusta Meyers said 10 trains will initially run, compared to 22 during full service. As the virus wanes, more trains will run, she said.
“We’ll increase it as the state allows,” Meyers said.
Rail Runner Operations Manager Robert Gonzales said in a news release: “Basically, we will have two options for a morning commute, two options for an evening commute, and resume the popular mid-day train from Albuquerque to Santa Fe each weekday.”
Diane Gibson, chairwoman of the Rio Metro Regional Transit District board, said the Rail Runner is a key part of the region’s transportation operations. “We look forward to continuing to serve those who rely on the service to get to critical destinations … such as work, medical appointments” and other needs, Gibson said.
Cleaning and disinfecting cars will take place throughout the day. Passengers and Rail Runner staff will have to wear face coverings, and cash will not be accepted as payment because of coronavirus concerns. Meyers said the train system’s mobile app, credit cards and debit cards can be used. Passengers also can purchase tickets online at riometro.org. Passes purchased before the coronavirus crisis will be honored in full, Meyers said.
The Rail Runner has a $28 million operating budget and a $6 million capital budget. The federal government pays for about half of the total.
Meyers and Rio Metro Director Terry Doyle said in July the shutdown wasn’t creating a hardship for the train service because ticket sales have generated only $1.5 million to $2 million a year from an average of 2,500 weekday passengers and 3,000 weekend riders.
The transit district also received $55 million through the federal CARES Act, which helped avoid layoffs and furloughs of Rail Runner staff.