It's Back! Rail Runner weekend service restored

From Capitol Report New Mexico.com - One month after the the Rio Metro Regional TransitDistrict Board decided to do away with weekend service on the Rail Runner, the board on Friday (July 15) by a 14-1 vote partially restored weekend service on the express train that runs between the greater Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. “The board responded to the numerous public comments from people who wanted to keep weekend Rail Runner service intact”, Steve Shaw, Chairman of the Rio Metro Board, said in a statement. “While weekday train service will always be the main mission for the Rail Runner, we see the importance of weekend service as it relates to tourism and economic vitality in New Mexico.” The board has been wrestling with how to deal with a 2012 budget that is $1.2 million less than the previous year. In June, the board narrowly decided to shut down weekend service but since that decision was made, supporters of the Rail Runner and a number of merchants in the Santa Fe area bitterly complained. Friday’s decision sees a kind of “mix and match” approach that the board hopes will address monetary problems (at least in the short term) while bringing back the train on Saturdays and Sundays. Read more

It's Back! Rail Runner weekend service restored