A couple of interesting stories ran recently in the Albuquerque's Tribune and Journal regarding the New Mexico Rail Runner Express.  The Mid-Region Council of Governments manages the popular commuter service.

Making Friends 

A story in the Albuquerque Tribune, Some passengers find Rail Runner express a good place to make friends, includes pictures and videos of riders who are making friends on the commuter rail.

Hodges said she enjoyed being able to relax on the train. Now, instead of sitting in traffic, Hodges sits on a plush seat and enjoys her friends.

"Lately, some of us ladies have been getting together to pass around magazines and tell each other recipes," she said. "Some of us will just sit and read and do different things, or we'll talk about the events that are happening around town. There are many diverse people on the train."

Advocating for Rail 

J.W. Madison, in a commentary for the Tribune, addresses the issue of subsidies.  Madison points out the subsidies can also be associated with automobile and air travel.

He concludes:

A rail-anchored transportation system provides huge savings in fuel/energy consumption; very little death or injury; greater take-home pay, less "stress"; greater worker and business productivity; more open space preservation; and more "livable" communities. Trust me, this list goes on and one.

Rail is also the perfect complement to both renewable energy and the use of nonmotorized transportation — biking and walking advocates take note.

Plus, people just like trains. All over the all-American, car-loving West, local and regional rail face opposition campaigns worthy of Karl Rove — opposition that shrinks dramatically about one minute after the trains start running. Just ask around those liberal hotbeds, like Dallas, Salt Lake City and Calgary, Alberta.

Money Well Spent 

MRCOG's Executive Director Lawrence Rael addresses the cost effectiveness of implementing commuter rail in Rail Runner Bargain in Utah Comparison (subscription required to view the article.)

At the end of the day, New Mexico will pay $400 million for 100 miles of rail service and 270 miles of railroad. The entire project will have been completed within five years.

In comparison, UTA will also end up with about 100 miles of rail service, and 175 miles of railroad rights of way. UTA's cost is now at $1.6 billion ($611 million Phase I, $836 million Phase II, $185 million track/rights of way purchase) of which $489 million will be paid federally. This is a 1000 percent increase over the estimates provided in 1998. The project will take 17 years to complete when all is said and done.

Visit the New Mexico Rail Runner Express website.