New Mexico Rail Runner Now Has Service to Santa Fe, NM

New Mexicans have spoken, they wanted rail runner service to Santa Fe. The time has come that this has now been made possible. Beginning December 15, 2008 the NM Rail Runner will take its first passengers to Santa Fe. Commuters who normally take I-25 daily will be relieved to know they now have another option, and at a great price too!

This has been a project many New Mexicans have been advocating for since the Rail Runner was created a few years back. It used to be that the Rail Runner only ran the farthest North into Bernalillo. It was a convenient and inexpensive way for commuters to get from one place to the next but those traveling to and from Santa Fe and Albuquerque and back weren't granted that luxury. While a normal car ride to Santa Fe to Albuquerque is normally only 45 min, the 40,000 cars caused a congestion that took commuters nearly 75 minutes instead.

Commuters have an option of four stations in Santa Fe and five stations in Albuquerque. Each route will cost you only $1, however, there is a reduced price of $1 for a round trip to students and is free to children under 10. If you plan on taking this route annually, you can purchase a yearly pass for $170. Train departures from Albuquerque to Santa Fe start at 5:18 am and run until 8:21pm. Departures from Santa Fe back to Albuquerque run from 4:23 am to 6:35 pm. They are hoping to extend these hours for weekends and special events, however, nothing is set in motion yet.

Rail Runners are handicapped equipped, features security cameras, bicycle racks, electronic message boards, Emergency Call Center button, night sky lighting and more. There are also shuttles running from one of the Santa Fe stops to downtown Santa Fe.

To find out more information on exact schedules, stops and other information, check them out at: http://www.nmrailrunner.com/santafe_schedule.asp