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Albuquerque, New Mexico:
New Mexico Rail Runner Express

Description

The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail line that extends from Albuquerque northwards to Santa Fe and southwards to Belen, a total distance of about 96 miles (154 km). It was built by the New Mexico Department of Transportation, and is managed by the Rio Metro Regional Transit District. Most of the route was originally built by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF) Railway, which is now part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. BNSF sold this route in 2006-07 to the state of New Mexico, but continues to operate some freight trains along it.

The rolling stock was newly built for the line: nine diesel-electric locomotives by Motive Power, Inc. (model PM36PH-3C), and 22 bi-level passenger coaches by Bombardier Transportation. Nine of the coaches are "cab cars" equipped with controls for operating a locomotive on the other end of the train. Trains operate in push-pull mode with the locomotive always on the south end of the train.

The first segment, between Downtown Albuquerque and Sandoval County / US 550, opened in July 2006. The line was extended southward to Los Lunas in December 2006 and to Belen in February 2007, and northward to Santa Fe in December 2008. Some intermediate stations opened after the sections of the line on which they are located. Two more stations are yet to open.

Station Opening Date
Santa Fe Depot 17 December 2008
South Capitol 17 December 2008
Zia Road to be determined
Santa Fe County / NM 599 1 August 2009
Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo) 22 March 2010
Sandoval County / US 550 14 July 2006
Downtown Bernalillo April 2007
Sandia Pueblo to be determined
Los Ranchos / Journal Center 14 July 2006
Downtown Albuquerque 14 July 2006
Bernalillo County / International Sunport April 2007
Isleta Pueblo 17 December 2008
Los Lunas 11 December 2006
Belen 2 February 2007

About 17 miles (27 km) of new track were built south of Santa Fe because the original AT&SF / BNSF route to Santa Fe via Lamy would have been too long and slow. About 12 miles of this new section are in the median of Interstate 25 south of Santa Fe, and the rest are in a new right of way around La Bajada hill south of La Cienega.

[Route and stations on Google Maps]

Pictures

[picture] The Santa Fe depot was built by the AT&SF in 1909.

[picture] Despite Santa Fe being one of the namesakes of the AT&SF, it ended up being on a branch line from Lamy, because of the steep grades required to reach it. From the end of track at Montezuma Avenue, you can take shuttle buses (the "Santa Fe Pickup") into downtown Santa Fe. Or you can walk; the historic Plaza at the heart of Santa Fe is about 0.6 mile (1.0 km) away.

[picture] Freight service to Santa Fe is now provided by an independent shortline railroad, the Santa Fe Southern, which also runs excursion trains to Lamy.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] A train heads north along the median of Interstate 25 near La Cienega, in the gloom of a late afternoon thunderstorm.

[picture] A northbound train runs alongside the old Camino Real (New Mexico 313) near Santa Ana Pueblo north of Bernalillo.

[picture]The Sandoval County / US 550 station in Bernalillo was my "home station" on this visit because my motel was a only few minutes' walk away.

[picture] All stations have an information kiosk similar to this one. Below the station name is a distinctive logo for each station.

[picture] A northbound morning train approaches the Sandoval County / US 550 station, cab end first. It has just gone through one of the line's double-track sections.

[picture] A crowd of passengers waits as the first northbound afternoon train pulls into the Albuquerque station.

[picture] A train lays over briefly at Belen, the southern terminal, in a view from a bridge over the tracks. BNSF's main transcontinental line westward to Los Angeles goes off to the left. Behind us is a large freight yard.

[picture] A ground-level view of Belen station from the parking lot.

[picture] Interior of a coach (upper level).

[picture] Day pass valid between Sandoval County / US 550 and Santa Fe. It was printed by a train conductor using a hand-held ticket printer.

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This page was last updated on 18 July 2010.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Albuquerque

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