RAIL WARRIOR (USUALLY ROAD WARRIOR)
Rail Runner turns 20: Some praise the train service while others say it鈥檚 a waste of money
Rail Runner launched in 2006 and cost about $390 million to build; 'It provides a really valuable service to people who don鈥檛 have cars,' state employee says
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It has been two full decades since the Rail Runner Express took off in central and northern New Mexico.
The commuter train takes brings people from Belen to Santa Fe, giving them chances to do some work or relax and take in some breathtaking scenery.
鈥淵ou see parts of the landscape that you cannot see when you鈥檙e driving on (Interstate) 25,鈥� said Steve Martinez, Santa Fe Community College history professor.
Martinez lives in Espa帽ola and takes the Rail Runner whenever he travels to Albuquerque to visit family or attend conferences at the University of New Mexico or Central New Mexico Community College.
鈥淒riving the I-25 corridor is dangerous and I鈥檒l tell you what: This train is great. You can relax. You got Wi-Fi. The staff (is) friendly,鈥� he said.
The Rail Runner launched in July 2006 as an initiative of then-Gov. Bill Richardson. The cost of the project was about $390 million. Today, the Rio Metro Regional Transit District operates the system, largely with the proceeds of a 鈪� of 1% gross receipts tax levied in Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia counties. Voters approved the tax in 2008. Of which, the Rail Runner receives 1/16 of a cent, Rio Metro spokesperson Augusta Meyers said.
She said it costs about $21.4 million a year to run the Rail Runner and that does not include unforeseen costs like repairs.
鈥淚ts been very expensive and I don鈥檛 really see the benefit of the train as a whole,鈥� said Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, which advocates for limited government and individual freedom. Instead, he added, if there was a 鈥渘eed for a government-sponsored transportation system then that should be in some form of shuttle buses or bus network that would take people from, say, Cottonwood and Coronado malls to Santa Fe.鈥�
Meyers said while 鈥渢here is not a transit system in the country, let alone the world, that makes money, that doesn鈥檛 mean folks should not have choices.鈥�
鈥淭he area served by the Rail Runner is where 鈪� of New Mexico鈥檚 population resides,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t also produces the most commerce in the state. When you consider that fact alone, we see that the Rail Runner fills a need for people to have options when it comes to travel 鈥� whether for work, tourism or leisure.鈥�
The 96.5-mile route began with four stations from Belen to Bernalillo and has since expanded to 15 stations. Each car is designed to seat about 140 passengers and can fit as many as 300 people, she said.
Rail Runner has seen ridership as high as 1,240,518 in 2010 before dropping to 40,894 in 2021, the first full year of the pandemic, according to Rio Metro.
鈥淲e had to basically start over again, reminding everybody that we had a commuter rail in central New Mexico,鈥� Meyers said.
One of the biggest impacts from the pandemic was people changing their work schedules, she said.
鈥淥ur 9 to 5 commuter schedule was no more,鈥� Meyers said. 鈥淲e added a lot more midday service because people鈥檚 work habits have changed and so now, we have, I think, a more robust schedule that (takes into account) a lot of hybrid schedules.鈥�
Despite these changes, ridership has not approached a million for over a decade. It hasn鈥檛 even reached 700,000 riders since fiscal year 2018-19.
The daily numbers are 鈥渘ot quite up to where we were pre-COVID,鈥� Meyers acknowledged.
Nonetheless, there has been an uptick in passengers over the past few years. In fiscal year 2025-26, there were 621,419 riders. That was up 13.8% from fiscal year 2022-23, 545,942 riders, and 2.5% from 2024-25, 605,643 riders.
Evan Pilling, a state employee, said he supports the Rail Runner and public transit in general.
鈥淚t鈥檚 better for the environment,鈥� he said. 鈥�(There are) fewer cars on the road. Less congestion. It provides a really valuable service to people who don鈥檛 have cars and need to go to the state capitol.鈥�
In addition to providing daily rides, the Rail Runner partners with organizations like the Santa Fe Opera to offer discount packages that includes train and shuttle rides to events.
鈥淎long with continually monitoring train schedules in an effort to meet current demands and schedules,鈥� Meyers said, 鈥淩io Metro continues to seek partnerships with other New Mexico entities along the 100-mile corridor served by the train.鈥�
But are there plans to expand the service?
Rio Metro Director of Transit Operations Robert Gonzales said no in a phone interview.
鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty well locked in,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you go north, you鈥檇 have to run it right down the middle of the freeway, which (means) talking to the DOT (Department of Transportation) to get the right of way. I鈥檓 not going to say it鈥檚 impossible, but then you have to negotiate with the BNSF to get through the Belen yards, which operates 150 trains a day. Even if you want to go to Las Cruces, you have to upgrade the signals since you have all dark territory. It would be a very hefty endeavor.鈥�
While there likely won鈥檛 be route changes in the future, in April 2026, Rio Metro Board of Directors approved an agreement to buy land to construct a new that is slated to open in late 2028.
鈥淥nce complete, the effort will significantly improve working conditions, reduce maintenance and repair costs, support well-paying jobs, and expand the resiliency and reliability of the Rail Runner,鈥� Meyers said.
While the Rail Runner may not bring in a lot of money and has its detractors, Martinez said, 鈥淵ou know what? New Mexico needs public transportation.鈥�
Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He鈥檚 the Rail Warrior this week for reporting on New Mexico鈥檚 Rail Runner service. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.
