Here's an update for everyone on the NM RailRunner project from Bernalillo, NM to Santa Fe, NM. If you haven't been to the Santa Fe area there is a lot of construction underway in the median of I-25. The interstate Speed Limit has been reduced from 75mph to 65mph due to the large amount of construction. I beleive they're construction two new tunnels and four to five new bridges to accomodate the RailRunners new median right-a-way. The NMRR has also received numerous loads of concrete ties which are coming from Denver that they'll be utilizing for the entire new 17 mile line running from La Bajada Jct., South of Santa Fe to the St. Francis Jct. in santa Fe where the RailRunner connects to the Santa Fe Southern Railway. I've also seen several loads of new rail coming from Pueblo that is now stacked in the median near the Cerrillos exit in Santa Fe. This whole project has costed and is costing so much for the State of New Mexico there is now talk of a new Toll Road (I-25) between Santa Fe, NM and Albuquerque, NM. A while back the State was even talking of three laning the interstate between Albuquerque, NM and Santa Fe now the talk is gone.
These costs are so often true. It's unusual for a large, intricate project to not have significant additional expenses.
I am really psyched to hear this!! Excellent news!! Now if I could convince them to build a line toward Farmington... J
Twenty-Nine other highway projects throughout the State of New Mexico have also been stopped due to the $$$$$$$ all going to the RailRunner project. JCATER, if you know Mr. Bill Richardson pretty good I think you'll have a chance to have a Farmington extension completed when they finish the SF extentsion. We were inspecting one of the tractor-trailers that was hauling a load of rail the other day at the Raton (NM) Port of Entry. Needless to say this cat had a few Out Of Service violations and was put out of service. The driver stated, "If you're going to place me OOS you need to call Mr. Richardson because he said if anyone hastled any of us, you need to call him immediately. This rail is for his railroad!" My SGT advised the driver to call Mr. Richardson so he could talk to him. The driver never called????????
Sounds like politics the old fashioned way! Well, I know this thing is going to cost a bundle but I think it is the smart thing to do now instead of way down the line when Santa Fe and Albuquerque are way too big and here is nowhere to go with a railroad. I saw this same thing happen in the Denver/Boulder area. As for Richardson, if all it takes a call to get a line extension up here, I'll dial the number J
Just a question from a So Cal railfan. After the line is completed, will there be any discussion of extending it South to Los Cruses and El Paso, TX? Robert
No talk, yet, of any extensions any further than Belen, NM. See the State of New Mexico bought or is the process of buying 300 miles of BNSF track from Belen, NM up to Trinidad, CO. Which means that all the tracks that the RailRunner is playing with now is theirs. The only other extension that has hit the air is a possible extension North 21 miles along US 285 up to Espanola, NMhowever, I think that is off along way in the future if even possible. If any other info comes up I'll post for all you'll to read.
Sammy, Since the state purchased the line to Trinidad, CO, is Amtrak still going through the pass and then is BNSF sending its freights through Belen and Amarilo, TX which was the route that the San Francisco Chief used? Robert
Loadmaster, YES the SW Chief is still using the line across the Raton Pass. The Chief is actually the only two (2) trains that I know I'll see or hear everyday. We still get an occasional empty NB/EB unit grain train that straggles across the the Raton Sub; howeever, other that the empty grainey the only other traffic I see is 2-5 light engines headed NB toward Trinidad, Colorado or the movement of bare tables NB or SB. Almost all the sidings between Lamy, NM (Santa Fe) and Raton Yard are usually full of empty bare table cars. The old York Canyon Mine Sub was abandoned by BNSF a few years past; however, from the junction whene the York Canyon Mine Sub meets the Raton Sub, I bet a good 10-20 miles of the single track abondoned track is being used to park the bare table cars???? all the freight traffic is re-routed Belen to Amarillo, North to Dalhart to Springfield, Colorado to La Junta, Co back toward Pueblo/Colo. Spgs.,/Denver. I've also seen an increase of NB freights using the Twin Peaks Sub from Dalhart, CO to Pueblo via Des Moines, NM/Trinidad, CO on the directional Power River Basin coal route. One train I know I'll see is a HOT intermodel UPS train, every Tuesday it passes my house in Wagon Mound, NM between 1:00pm-3:00pm NB/EB. Usually two locos pulling 15-20 intermodel cars.
Anymore updates on the Roadrunner? I can't seem to find anything online about it. I do know that way up here in San Juan County all new road construction has been halted so funds can be used "elsewhere in the state."
THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 29 ROAD (GRIP) PROJECTS THAT WERE STOPPED SO THE MONEY COULD GO TO THE RAILRUNNER PROJECT. THE US 64 PROJECT BETWEEN RATON AND CLAYTON (2 LANE TO 4 LANE) WAS ALSO STOPPED AFTER ONLY 20 MILES COMPLETED. I WORK WITH NEW MEXICO MOTOR TRANSPORTATION POLICE AND I SEE ATLEAST 10-12 TRACTOR TRAILERS HAULING 102 CONCRETE TIES EACH HEADED TOWARD SANTA FE. I ALSO SEE 2-TRACTOR TRAILERS EACH DAY, EXCEPT SUNDAYS, HAULING RAIL FROM PUEBLO TO SANTA FE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT THEY'RE PILING THE RAIL 12 MILES SOUTH OF SANTA FE AND THE TIES IN THE MEDIAN OF I-25 BY SANTA FE.
The Amtrak SW Chief (Trains 3/4) are still utilizing the tracks from Dalies, West of Belen, up to Trinidad using the already purchased, State of New Mexico tracks. The only other traffic we see between Albuquerque and Trinidad is empty bare table unit trains (2/3 per day). I've also seen a BNSF Track Geometry Special running up and down the Raton Sub. I think I saw an empty grainie headed North/East about three weeks ago....
Roadrunner was a Plymouth. In New Mexico we have the Railrunner which stole the name from the Albuquerque based N-Track club. The NM Railrunners used the name first about 10 years before this money pit was concieved by Bill R.
