AN EVENING ON NEW MEXICO’S RAIL RUNNER By Jack M. Turner
AN EVENING ON NEW MEXICO’S RAIL RUNNER
By Jack M. Turner
After checking in at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Albuquerque, it was
time to make the short walk to the Alvarado Transportation Center
to catch a Rail Runner commuter train to Santa Fe. On our 2007
stay in Albuquerque my son and I rode Rail Runner, which then was less
than one year old, west to Belen. At the time the line to Santa
Fe was in the planning stage as new track had to be built between the
former BNSF line and Santa Fe. Service to New Mexico’s capital
city commenced in December 2008 following the completion of 18 miles of
new track between Madrid (the junction with the Raton Pass line used by
the Southwest Chief) and the capital city of Santa Fe.
Alvarado Transportation Center serves Rail Runner Express, Amtrak, and
Greyhound
The view from the author’s room at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque
The New Mexico flag waves in a steady desert breeze
Rail Runner train # 514 departed Albuquerque at 5:34pm and ridership
was relatively strong on a Tuesday afternoon. This train
originated in Albuquerque sandwiched between a pair of Santa Fe bound
trains that started their runs in Belen. In all there are eight
weekday trains in each direction between Albuquerque and Santa Fe with
half of those originating or terminating at Belen. A reduced
number of trains operate on Saturday and Sunday in either direction.
Rail Runner train # 514 boards in Albuquerque on September 15, 2015
Inside Rail Runner coach 1005
Five minutes into its journey # 514 took a siding and two minutes later
train # 515 rolled past en route from Santa Fe to Belen. Shortly
after the meet we stopped at the first stop, Montoņo, then proceeded to
the stop at Los Ranchos. As proved to be the case at all stops,
the train paused just long enough for detraining and boarding
passengers then departed to keep on schedule. The late afternoon
sun and accompanying shadows gave the landscape an interesting
appearance all the while illuminating landmark Sandia Mountain to the
east. After passing through Sandia Pueblo and making stops at
Bernalillo and Sandoval, we passed Rail Runner train # 517, the day’s
last train to Belen.
The late afternoon view of Sandia Mountain is spectacular north of
Albuquerque
Just before the stop at Kewa we ducked onto a short siding built to
serve the platform without fouling the main track. This stop was
adjacent to the Santo Domingo Trading Post but otherwise appeared
fairly isolated. Seven minutes after departing Kewa we entered
the new Rail Runner right-of-way at Madrid by branching off from the
ex-ATSF line used by the Southwest Chief. Shortly before that
junction another rail line serving gypsum mines at Rosario branched off
to the right. That line was once the ATSF main line before being
relocated to its current alignment in 1970. The Rail Runner line
is noticeably steep through this area with a ruling grade of 3 1/2
%. Soon the rails entered the I-25 median and automobiles could
be seen on both sides of the train, usually traveling not as fast as
the train.
Overtaking automobiles as the train glides along the I-25 median
The desert sky seen from the train sailing along the middle of I-25
The stop at SF County/NM 599 revealed shuttle busses waiting to
transport passengers to surrounding areas as was the norm at many Rail
Runner stops. A few minutes later we again took the siding to
allow the passage of train # 519 at 7:03pm. Just beyond this
point the Rail Runner line left the interstate median and worked its
way along a high elevation shelf where the last vestiges of sunset left
the sky a dazzling array of colors, mostly pink, orange, and yellow,
framed by purple-hued mountains. Populated areas replaced desert
scenery as the fringes of Santa Fe were upon us and at 7:16pm we called
at South Capitol before finally reaching Santa Fe at 7:20pm after
navigating around sharp curves leading to the end of the line.
A beautiful desert sunset approaching the outskirts of Santa Fe
The horizon explodes in color as train # 514 nears the South Capitol
station
I then watched the now empty train move to a pocket track at the Santa
Fe station to free up the platform track for the arrival of train # 516
from Belen approximately an hour later. That train equipment
would make up the final train of the night back to Albuquerque.
Directly across the parking lot from the railroad platform I found
Tomasita’s, a popular Mexican restaurant which had been recommended by
a friend who works for the department that oversees Rail Runner.
The ambiance of the restaurant was excellent and the food was even
better. A brief number played by a Mariachi band entertained
diners and made the evening memorable.
Train # 514 beside the Santa Fe station
NMRX engine # 104 displays its unique Rail Runner logo
Rail Runner coach # 1005 at Santa Fe
Santa Fe Southern equipment at Santa Fe
Coaches from the Santa Fe Southern excursion train which was not
operating at the time of the author’s visit
The station at Santa Fe
Cab control car # 1103 at the end of the line at Santa Fe
Train # 514 moves from the Santa Fe platform track to a pocket track
for the night
A Mariachi band entertains at Tomasita’s, a popular restaurant next to
the Santa Fe depot
The logo for Tomasita’s plays off the adjacent railway
After a leisurely meal it was time to step outside and watch the
arrival of # 516 from Belen at 8:37pm. Like all northbound
trains, the engine was on the rear pushing two cars to Santa Fe.
Departure back to Albuquerque was punctual at 9:00pm and NMRX engine #
102 was in charge of the day’s final run. The lights of Santa
Fe’s suburbs twinkled in the clean desert air as the train negotiated
the plateau-like region on the edge of the city. Soon we worked
our way back into the median of I-25 with my GPS indicating we were at
an elevation of 5500 feet. The nocturnal ride and mostly remote
routing provided little to see out the window except for an old blue
and yellow Santa Fe freight engine switching an industrial track just
outside of Albuquerque. As we pulled back into Albuquerque it
occurred to me that this was the latest at night that I had ever ridden
a commuter train. Our 10:31pm arrival in Albuquerque was 1 minute
early and represented the end of the day’s operations for Rail
Runner. After the short walk back to the Hyatt, it was time for a
restful night in a bed that was not moving for the first time after
three nights aboard Amtrak sleeping cars.
Train # 516 has arrived in Santa Fe and will turn to # 521 for the nocturnal run back to Albuquerque
Rail Runner serves 14 stations on its 97 mile route between Santa Fe
and Belen and there are over 60 connecting bus routes. Herzog
Transit, Inc. is contracted to perform operations and maintenance as
well as providing engineers, conductors, and ticket agents. The
Rail Runner fleet is comprised of 9 MPI locomotives, 13 Bombardier
bi-level coaches, and 9 Bombardier cab control cars which also contain
passenger seating. There are no plans for expansion of the route
though track improvements are an ongoing priority. Over 9 million
passengers and 300,000 bicycles have been carried by Rail Runner during
its existence.
Visitors to Albuquerque will find Rail Runner to be an excellent means
of making a day trip to Santa Fe. The Santa Fe stop is within
easy walking distance of the center of Santa Fe and there are free
shuttle busses during normal business hours. With a variety of
scheduled departures, it is possible to make a quick round trip or
spend an entire day in Santa Fe. Not to be missed is the Santa Fe
town square where Native Americans sell handicrafts outdoors and a
variety of indoor shops and restaurants are worthy of a visit.
Adjacent to the station is the Santa Fe Railyard, which offers a
variety of restaurants, shops, art galleries, and other things to see
and do. Additionally there are fast food restaurants just a
couple blocks west of the depot and the previously mentioned Tomasita’s
is right beside the station. One-way fares between Albuquerque
and Santa Fe are $10 at the time of this story’s publication while a
day pass is only $11. A number of special events such as the
annual Albuquerque International Balloon Festival warrant special Rail
Runner services.
