| Rail Runner Express | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reporting marks | NMRX |
| Locale | Albuquerque, New Mexico metro area |
| Dates of operation | 2006–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan area of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and the Mid Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), a regional government planning association. The system is in Phase I of planned development, operating on an existing BNSF Railway right of way from Belen to Bernalillo. Phase II, scheduled to open in 2008, will extend the line northward to Santa Fe.
Contents |
History
In 2003, the concept of passenger rail serving the Central New Mexico corridor had been discussed for decades, but it wasn’t until August of that year when New Mexico governor Bill Richardson announced that his administration was going to pursue the implementation of commuter rail service. Later that same year, grants were given to NMDOT and MRCOG to begin the effort, and the New Mexico State Legislature passed Governor Richardson’s Investment Partnership (GRIP), a transportation improvement package. The Rail Runner was one of the projects in that bill. Over the next few years, NMDOT and MRCOG developed a strategy for implementing rail service. In 2005, the name “Rail Runner”, a play on the name of New Mexico’s state bird the roadrunner, and a branding scheme was chosen. The cars and locomotives were received throughout the year of 2005 and groundbreaking for the first Rail Runner station took place on October 31, 2005. During this time the state also made negotiations with BNSF for usage of the railroad track. After assessing the needs of the track, the State of New Mexico purchased the railroad corridor from Belen to the New Mexico-Colorado border from BNSF, to ensure that commuter trains would always get the right-of-way and have priority over freight trains in the corridor. The Rail Runner officially went into service on July 14, 2006, serving the Downtown Albuquerque, Los Ranchos, and Sandoval County stations. On December 11, 2006, the Los Lunas station opened, and on February 2, 2007, the Belen station opened, extending the line to its southern end. In April 2007, two more stations opened: Bernalillo County/International Sunport and Downtown Bernalillo.[1]
Justification
The Central New Mexico corridor, which is home to half the state’s population, is anchored by Santa Fe (the state capital) and Albuquerque (the largest city and economic hub). The two cities are connected by a single four-lane interstate highway, I-25. Within the Albuquerque metro area, the urbanized parts of Valencia County are separated from Albuquerque by a Native American Pueblo. In fact, there are seven Pueblos along the entire corridor, making the addition of new roadways or the expansion of current capacity unlikely. The high real-estate prices in Santa Fe mean that many of the people who work there must commute from the Albuquerque metro area. Furthermore, the capital is home to many of the state’s cultural institutions and tourist attractions, and most out-of-state visitors are forced to make the 60-mile journey from the Albuquerque International Sunport by car. As the population of the region grows, commute times are expected to increase 80% on some routes by 2025, making the introduction of additional forms of transportation a priority to local governments.
Criticism
Critics of the Rail Runner system believe that funds would be better spent widening Interstate 25 between Santa Fe and Tramway Boulevard in Albuquerque and also widening I-25 south of the Sunport to Belen. (This was determined to be most likely impossible as the Pueblos I-25 passes through have refused permission for road widening.) Preliminary estimates indicate that the service will operate at a deficit, requiring up to $10 million in government subsidies annually.[2] Still, given that roads require high construction costs as well as expensive maintenance and that a widened I-25 would almost certainly not be a toll road, subsidies would likely be similar if not more.
Ridership
For the first few months of service between Albuquerque and Bernalillo the fares were free, to attract riders to the service. On the first day of service the Rail Runner carried 4,122 passengers, and ridership climbed through the first few weeks of operation, averaging at around 4,000 to 4,500 riders a day and once peaking at 6,000 riders a day.[3] On August 14, 2006, barely a month after the start of service, the Rail Runner received its 100,000th passenger. As many of the riders in the early weeks of service were not commuters, but people “trying out” the train because it was new, ridership gradually declined after the initial weeks of service.[4] August ridership dropped to around 2,500 to 3,000 riders a day, and then down to 2,100 to 2,500 riders a day in September. Despite the drop, the Rail Runner received its 200,000th passenger on October 13, 2006. In November, the free service ended on the Sandoval section of the line and ridership dropped to around 1,000 passengers a day. But when the Los Lunas and Belen stations opened ridership nearly doubled, bringing it up to around 1,800 passengers a day. The Rail Runner received its 300,000th passenger on February 22, 2007. Free service on the Belen section of the line ended April 1, 2007, and a new zone fare structure went into effect. As of summer 2007, ridership has held steady at around 2,500 passengers per day. Expectations are that ridership will continue to increase, with rising gasoline prices. The Rail Runner got its 400,000th passenger on May 10 and its 500,000th passenger on July 5, 2007.
Stations
Phase I (approximately 47 miles) of the commuter rail line includes nine stations. From north to south, they are:
Currently, all the stations are open except for Sandia Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo. It is not known when these last two will open.
Service
Currently, the Rail Runner operates on weekdays, with trains running during the peak commuting periods and one mid-day train, as well as a single Friday evening train. There is also Saturday service in the summer and some weekend service for special events (balloon fiesta, holiday season, etc).
Ticketing
The cost of Rail Runner tickets is based upon the number of zones traveled (see map). Tickets are purchased from yellow-vested attendants with hand-held devices either at the station platform before boarding or on the train. Day, monthly, and annual passes are available. Seniors, students, and the disabled get half-off fares. Children under the age of 10 ride for free. As of April 2007, regular one-way fares are as follows:
- Within one zone: $1.00
- Within two zones: $2.00
- Within three zones: $3.00
As of June 25, 2007, The Rail runner now offers Online Printable Tickets. The tickets will be scanned by the attendants when boarding the train. The fare for each ride remains the same.
Rolling stock
The Rail Runner power includes five Motive Power MPI MP36PH-3C diesel-electric locomotives that operate on biodiesel fuel. Passenger cars include four Bombardier BiLevel Coaches and six Bombardier BiLevel Cab cars. Each car has a seating capacity of 140 passengers, with standing room for an additional 60. Rail Runner trains operate in a push-pull configuration, with the locomotive always facing south. The FRA reporting marks for the Rail Runner Express is NMRX. Locomotives have three-digit road numbers beginning with the numeral 1 (e.g., 101). Coaches have four-digit road numbers beginning with the numeral 1 (e.g., 1001). Cab cars have four-digit road numbers beginning with 11 (e.g., 1101). Restrooms and water fountains are available in the cab cars. Bicycle and wheelchair locks are on the first level of all coaches. The livery of the New Mexico Rail Runner depicts a roadrunner on the locomotive and trailing tailfeathers on the coaches.
| Manufacturer | Model | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Motive Power | MPI MP36PH-3C diesel-electric locomotive | 5 |
| Bombardier Transportation | Bombardier BiLevel Coach | 4 |
| Bombardier Transportation | Bombardier BiLevel Cab cars | 6 |
Connections
The Rail Runner connects with Amtrak and Greyhound Lines at Downtown Albuquerque. New Mexico Park and Ride shuttles connect the Downtown Albuquerque and Sandoval County/US 550 stations to other communities in the region, such as Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, and Moriarty. Park & Ride passengers with a monthly pass get to ride the Rail Runner for free. There are connections to numerous ABQRide routes (including Rapid Ride) in Downtown Albuquerque as well as ABQRide routes at the Los Ranchos/Journal Center and Bernalillo County/International Sunport stations. ABQRide offers free service to anyone who shows their Rail Runner ticket. There are also a number of smaller shuttle services serving the Rail Runner: Los Lunas Public Transportation serves the Los Lunas station, the University of New Mexico has a dedicated shuttle connecting its main campus to the Downtown Albuquerque station, and the Santa Ana Pueblo operates a shuttle connecting its casino to the Sandoval County/US 550 station.
Future plans
Phase II
Phase II is the extension of the line to Santa Fe. Using the existing BNSF track, which is filled with sharp curves, would require the train to slow to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) in some places, so new tracks will need to be laid to produce travel times comparable to the automobile. The new route will use existing track from Bernalillo to the base of La Bajada hill, south of Santa Fe. It will then run on new track in the I-25 median into Santa Fe. The line is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008.
Montaño station
MRCOG is looking into building a new station in Albuquerque on Montaño Road, which lies between the current Downtown Albuquerque and the Los Ranchos/Journal Center stations.
Incidents
- On April 5, 2007, a northbound train ran through a wildfire on the Isleta Pueblo reservation. No one was hurt and no equipment was damaged, but officials soon tried to find out why no one received notification of the blaze until the incident actually occurred.[5]
- On the evening of August 24, 2007, a southbound train hit a vehicle at a private grade crossing south of Los Lunas. Two people in the vehicle were killed. No one aboard the train was injured. So far, it appears that the Rail Runner personnel followed procedure.[6]
- On the evening of September 19, 2007, a southbound train hit a vehicle at a private grade crossing between Belen and Los Lunas. One person in the vehicle was killed.[7]
Trivia
- The door closing tones resemble the signature “Beep-Beep” of the Warner Bros. Road Runner cartoon character.
- The New Mexico Rail Runner was featured on MythBusters solving a popular myth that the vortex of wind a train creates can pick up a person standing close to the tracks. The episode debuted on November 8, 2006.
References
- ^ Commuter Rail Status Report on the Rail Runner website
- ^ "Train Debate Ignores I-25 Funding Needs", Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved on November 18.
- ^ "Story: Stats don't faze train managers", Albuquerque Tribune. Retrieved on November 18.
- ^ "Fewer people are riding the Rail Runner for fun", Albuquerque Tribune. Retrieved on November 18.
- ^ "Railroad fire plan not followed", KRQE News 13.
- ^ "Siblings die in Rail Runner collision", KRQE News 13.
- ^ "Senior Citizen dies in Rail Runner collision", KRQE News 13.
