new mexico rail runner

It is commodious, clean, and comfortable. A cheap way to get to Santa Fe, but the schedules are great for daily commuters, not necessarily good for the traveler arriving at odd hours.

The train is a real bargain. Cheap, fast and someone else drives! When the governor began this project some years back there were plenty of complaints about "wasting taxpayer money." Well, I didn't hear any of that on this trip. The train was well occupied and there were plenty of happy people passing up the 65+ mile drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. It is even more of a bargain when it's snowing in Santa Fe with a few icy hills to climb along the way.

I adore the Railrunner train. It is always clean and comfortable. When I worked downtown, I rode it to work and home every day and it made for a stress free commute. I also take for a day out in Santa Fe and the trip there is scenic and safe. Highly recommended.

Well, here we go.A trip to a longtime friend's house in Belen, NM took us into New Mexico via Alaska Airlines out of Portland (That's another review altogether.....not so good. But I digress....). The Belen endpoint is just blocks from their home, so away we went the day after we arrived. The plan was to get to Santa Fe, do some walking, catch a meal at Tomacita's, and ride back to Belen.So, we caught the 8:00 train up to Santa Fe', riding in "push" mode in the cab car. For a railroad afficianado, the sound of the horn at every crossing is music. With the GPS speedometer I clocked some stretches at 79-82 mph, but in the top level of the car I couldn't sense the speed. Took a couple peeks out the front window and it became more apparent.Ticketing can be done online, or with the conductor onboard. Another review said there was a discount for purchasing online, but since we had 4 seniors, the discount was pretty good, anyway. Make sure to compare the cost of the day passes against individual ride tickets. The conductors were friendly and jovial, which makes the trip just a little more personable, despite being what people term a commuter railroad.I'm going to get the beef out of the way at the get-go. The PA system aboard the train was ear-splitting. When the lady would key up the microphone, it sounded like a firecracker in the ear, then when she would put the handset down the eardrums were in serious jeopardy. Sure, people need to hear the stops, but at 100 decibels? Really?That said, the trip through the New Mexico countryside was wonderful. The roadbed is smooth and virtually lurch-free. We spotted several coyotes from the train, and were able to get some of the Native American history as we traveled through a couple NA Sovereign Lands. As the train climbed toward Santa Fe, the speed dropped and the curves started. That was interesting to me, as the latter part of the ride follows the old roadbed into Santa Fe.In Santa Fe, the trainset for Santa Fe Southern rests peacefully waiting its next run. Pictures are easy to take from then NMRX endpoint. And- there are restaurants everywhere in the proximity of the station.The trains are clean, and passengers are reminded at every stop not to put their feet on the seat. Cleanliness is enforced, as is good behavior. A drunk individual and companion got on at one stop and the conductor immediately called security when the wrong ticket was presented. The unruly passengers were put off at the next stop. Even the onboard restrooms were acceptably clean.Be aware that there is a restriction of photography while going through sovereign land at Kewa Pueblo. The reason wasn't stated, but it's respectful to observe that restriction.For a dyed-in-the-wool rider, this was a nice addition to the resume'. The friends we were with used to ride the train prior to retirement to commute from Belen to Albuquerque and found it to be a real stress reliever. We would recommend it for both that and just the nice ride through the high country of New Mexico.Side note- There is a nice coffee shop in the Albuquerque Transportation Center that you can purchase snacks- there is no service on the train. Use a layover for that reason. Santa Fe has a plethora of great places to eat (See, Tomacitas).

The Rail Runner is a convenient way to get to Santa Fe, where Old Town and the State Capitol are a short walk from the terminal. It's just not practical for visiting Albuquerque, though, as the city is too sprawling to walk anywhere.

Its a way to use up some spare time, but it is a long way in Santa FE to walk places so be prepared. Stuff cost a lot in Santa Fe.

The Rail Runner is a great trip to take from Albuquerque to Santa Fe for an excursion. I like to shop and eat around the railyards train depot. We love to eat at the Zia Diner and shop at a great vintage store called Doubletake. There are some great contemporary art studios and galleries in the area. You can have fun and avoid some of the tourist crowds down by the Plaza. If you can walk a ways, you can walk downtown or get off the trin at a stop closer to the plaza.

First off this is a site for travelers visiting New Mexico so the persons that say this train is lousy for commuting to work are in the wrong place and should go complain on some other site. For someone in Albuquerque that wants to see Sant Fe or vice/versa and is sick of driving this is an excellent way to go. The trains are modern, comfortable and efficient. Not to mention priced the same as parking in Santa Fe would cost you. They drop you off in Santa Fe a 10 minute walk from the middle of old town or you can take a free shuttle there. The ride is a relaxing hour and a half, part of it through an Indian pueblo with good scenery throughout the trip. Of course there are other ways to get to Santa Fe that are also enjoyable but this train ride is a very good alternative.

Although the NM Rail Runner services a longer route, we used to travel from the northern part of Albuquerque to Santa Fe and return. It was a totally satisfying experience. We parked the car at the station in ABQ, got off in Santa Fe within easy walking distance to the sites/sights we wanted to visit/see, the ride was VERY comfortable and fast, the scheduled departures were frequent, and the price is right ! !

This is a good resource for the 8-to-5 Santa Fe-Albuquerque commute, cheap, convenient and comfortable, and it should be a valuable asset for people flying via the Albuquerque airport and continuing on to or from Santa Fe. Unfortunately, the line's timetable heavily stresses the 8-to-5 business world, with very few mid-day departures. The consequence is that if you're using it as a tourist or other air traveler, or doing off-peak business travel, you may have to wait quite a while before boarding, which compromises the usefulness of the thing. I still recommend it whole-heartedly if it fits your schedule, as an alternative to the tedious and sometimes aggravating drive up or down I-25, but be aware that the "if it fits your schedule" qualifier may be significant.

Not wanting to deal with the hassle of driving to Santa Fe and fighting parking, it was suggested to me to use the train to get there. Buying my ticket online, which saves you a few dollars, locating a station and getting aboard are made simple by not having to deal with the hassle of a major station or congestion. The cars were well maintained and enjoyable for the trip north. The Santa Fe Station dropped you off within walking distance of the Plaza or there was the option to take the free shuttle to it. I would highly recommend this for anyone traveling light or in a large group. The cost is minimal and the easy of travel maximal.

A bargain at $7 for seniors roundtrip. And just so well run. A relaxing, scenic way to get to get to Santa Fe. All of the staff care that you are having a good trip.

Took it to Indian Market. Great since there is no parking but the trip up and back took 3 hours due to mechanical problems. Otherwise it is fun and the theme trips are great. Great seats and scenery.

Tickets are cheaper when you order online and print, comfortable seats and view is worth taking the train up

My ONLY wish is that there trains in the middle of the day. I rode during the week between Christmas and New Year's so there were many non-commuters using the train, presumably for a day adventure to Santa Fe, but I gather normally only commuters use the train. Check to see if there is still a $5 Groupon for a round-trip ticket. Some of the people on the train had them, though I didn't even think to check on my end.