Posted on 03/20/2006 9:51:23 AM PST by CedarDave
The state and BNSF Railway are today expected to sign the sale-closing documents for a $50 million stretch of tracks between Belen and Bernalillo— tracks necessary to begin the first phase of Gov. Bill Richardson's commuter line.
The state Transportation Department during a Thursday meeting in Silver City announced it was initiating a wire transfer to speed the money to the railroad company. A Richardson news release said he has scheduled a news conference in his Santa Fe Cabinet room this afternoon in part to make a "major commuter rail announcement."
BNSF has not allowed the state access to the train line until the closing.
Mid-Region Council of Governments director Lawrence Rael, whose agency is heading up the first phase of the train project, said Thursday workers will likely be on the line next week to begin work on the necessary train platforms.
He said limited train service between Albuquerque and Bernalillo is expected to begin by late May or early June, with an exact start date expected to be announced in the next few weeks.
Rael said that, in the next week or so, residents will start seeing the sleek silver, red and yellow locomotives and passenger cars running up and down the tracks as the new equipment is tested and the conductors begin logging in the necessary time for federal certification.
The Rail Runner project is slated to cost a total of $393 million. Full service between Belen, Bernalillo and Albuquerque is planned for the first phase, and planners hope to bring the train into Santa Fe by the end of 2008.
The state and BNSF in early December celebrated their track deal, a phased-in purchase totaling $75 million that will ultimately give the state about 300 miles of tracks between Belen and the Colorado state line.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
The train to no where and that nobody will ride.
Can you spell 'Perpetual Subsidy'? Looks like the NM taxpayers are going to be saddled with a new white elephant, staffed by unionized government employees who will become a new constituency for the democratic party.
They need a commuter train in New Mexico. Must be growing really fast.
Sure we are growing fast, maybe just maybe we will have over 2M citizens state wide by the end of the decade.
Bernalillo is growing quite a bit, but I didn't thing the
traffic on I25 there was that bad (except when an accident
occurrs).
I-25 north of Tramway to Bernalillo is still two lanes each way, as it is south of Gibson. Money is better spent to widen the highway to three lanes each direction.
I grew up in Bernalillo, and every time I go back I can't believe how fast it's growing. That being said, why would anyone want to ride a train to Albuquerque when it's only 15 minutes away? Also who in the heck wants to go to Belen?:)
Betcha there a lot of smiling faces in Ft. Worth about now.
ATSF/BNSF has been trying to unload this turkey for over 100 years now.
And along comes a sucker.
Fare Levels:
| Type | Description | Full Fare | Reduced Fare (Senior / Child / Disabled) |
| One-Way | travel from one station on the line to any other station. | $2 | $1 |
| Day Pass | unlimited travel for day | $4 | $2 |
| 10 – Day Pass | a book of ten Day Passes for unlimited travel anytime (not necessarily consecutive days) | $38 | $19 |
| Monthly Pass | unlimited travel for the month | $64 | $32 |
| Annual Pass | under consideration | $704 | $352 |
Major city mass transit operations are lucky if they meet 50-60% of operating costs from fares. They have to strive for at least that much, or the local taxpayers revolt. Here in NM its likely to be less than 10% fare recovery, and we have no say in it. Do a keyword search on Richardson's Railroad for details.
Just you wait until they get a train going to Santa Fe! Instead of 50-55 minutes by car from ABQ at 75 mph, its a couple of hours with the last 20 miles from Lamy at a top track speed of 20 mph!
Not after you add in the taxes we are going to have to pay and if we have a tight budget year and Educations gets cut, look out.
That remark was tongue-in-cheek (or so I thought). Should have made clear: Cheap for the rider (or homeless person looking for a dry/cool/warm/ place to hang out when its wet/hot/cold).
Well at least all Democrats will be able to ride at the reduced fare.........
I understand Dave, this train is going to be just so big of a boondoggle. In June I will be submitting a request on just how much Gov. Richardson's new plane is costing us, or at least what it will cost us.
Left Albuquerque area in September 2001, was back there on business in January 2005. In that short time the north end of Rio Rancho and Bernalillo has seen a lot of housing growth. Wonder when the growth is going to spread to Algodones.
Well it would be nice to ride the train into Santa Fe and
get off right at Tommasita's...
If you get on the train in ABQ about 9 a.m. it should get you to the station just about lunch time. The NMDOT spokesperson said it was going to terminate at the current station downtown, which is right next to Tomasitas.
Of course, if you drove, you'd have two extra hours to shop the Plaza before lunch.
In fairness, I should link to the new train's web site:
http://www.nmrailrunner.com/
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