New Mexico Rail & Buses Expand Service

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abqdave

Train Attendant
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
96
Location
Albuquerque, NM
NM Rail Runner service has added another train on Saturday to Santa Fe to relieve overcrowding. It's just amazing how popular it has turned out to be. Service to Santa Fe just started in mid-December. By mid-January service on Saturday proved so popular it was made permanent year-round (Saturday service was originally intended just for Summers and holidays). Now, a 7th train. http://nmrailrunner.com/PDF/Saturday%20Sch...b%2028%2009.pdf

Also, ABQRide is adding a 3rd 'Rapid Ride' bus rapid transit route. Again, just amazing. Rapid Ride service was started in Dec. 2004. In 2007 a second Rapid Ride route was added. Now in Summer 2009 a 3rd. http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/index.ph...l&Itemid=77

Just proves...people are using alternatives to driving.
 
Is there any Sunday service, though?
Nope. TV story made it sound like operators were adamant that there be no sunday service. Need to service the track, don't you know. After all, BNSF and CSX knock off every Sunday, don't they? (I'm being sarcastic, here). The tourist bucks available during the summer would be so great that I would think that they would have to relent just because the money would be so good.

It really has been a howling success and the brand new train on Saturday was full first time.

If they put in some Class V track to Las Vegas, 40 miles away, they would instantly solve the affordable home problem in Santa Fe for once and for all and create a major economic boom in Las Vegas. Too bad they didn't have plans for such in the can to get in on the stimulus bucks.
 
TV story made it sound like operators were adamant that there be no sunday service.
Most transit systems, and the entire Japanese Shinkansen network also does it, shut down from around midnight to around 5:00 to 6:00 am every night. That is the maintenance window for the track and associated facilities. for some systems, for example, the Hong Kong subway, Sunday is their busiest day.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, this is New Mexico. You can't expect government workers to work at night. As we say here: "Carpe Manana."
 
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