Passenger Trains > "Rail Runner’s run-in with federal safety mandate"

"By Dan McKay / Journal Staff Writer
Sunday, September 24th, 2017 at 12:05am
Copyright © 2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s commuter rail system has two balloon payments to prepare for, in 2025 and 2026.
But another whopper is about to hit the Rail Runner – a $50 million safety upgrade required by the federal government..."
https://www.abqjournal.com/1068316/rail-runners-runin-with-federal-safety-mandate-excerpt-50m-needed-for-emergency-trainslowdown-equipment.html

ridership peaked in 2010, too bad these trains arn't in colorado's front range



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/17 08:34 by dan.

dan Wrote:
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> ridership peaked in 2010, too bad these trains
> arn't in colorado's front range


What makes you think they would ride them there?

BNSF will loan them the money

dan Wrote:
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> ridership peaked in 2010, too bad these trains
> arn't in colorado's front range

Raise gas prices and they'll come back.

PHall Wrote:
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> What makes you think they would ride them there?

Bigger population , more congestion-challenge is the 1st and last miles of a journey. Denvers golden and aurora light rails are scheduled to loose frequencies, anything that pulls into union station with the free shuttle, the city

core, has a

chance. Denver Fort collins denver colo springs are some corridors that could use some trains, but I say wait for major infrastructure, till the mag lev tube idea dies or gets built.

radar Wrote:
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> dan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ridership peaked in 2010, too bad these trains
> > arn't in colorado's front range
>
> Raise gas prices and they'll come back.

so, just so i understand this, u want to raise gas prices for EVERYBODY with subsequent economic consequences so more will ride a commuter train??

66

In addition to the two balloon payments, New Mexico is paying a Duke's ransom for the annual interest on the debt.

I read that Governor Bill essentially pledged the highway budget to finance the operating cost of this rail service.


(One version is the railroad was supposed to be financed by a mix of gasoline tax revenues, and higher taxes on parking garages in Santa Fe. That would be the incentive to park for free at a train station lot, and take the extremely low cost train to Santa Fe. Rather than pay higher parking in SF.

The state employees squawked, the parking taxes didn't go up. The train is still incredibly cheap, and the state is pumping millions into the effort.)

The easy solution would be to grant them an extension.
An exemption of PTC rules however, would be unfair to other commuter operations.
If BNSF and Amtrak had PTC installed, then the Rail Runner would only have
to be responsible for CP Madrid to Santa Fe, and the segment into Belen.

Yes, raise gasoline taxes to cover up the fact that it was a crappy worthless idea in the first place. BUT, never admit you are wrong.

Was this a surprise to them? Did they not know they would have to comply with the PTC mandate, as idiotic as it is?

1976 Wrote:
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> BNSF will loan them the money

Another option would be for Gov. Bill to make amends to the taxpayers of NM by working his negotiating magic and convince Supreme Leader Jong-un to give Gov. Susana the money.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> In addition to the two balloon payments, New
> Mexico is paying a Duke's ransom for the annual
> interest on the debt.
>
> I read that Governor Bill essentially pledged the
> highway budget to finance the operating cost of
> this rail service....


and how is the Spaceport doing?

ts1457 Wrote:
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> and how is the Spaceport doing?
--------------------

Truth and consequences are brewing.

Economic impact:
"...Truth or Consequences Brewing Co. saw “some spaceport traffic” during the Spaceport America Cup in June 2017, “but nothing major,” owner Marianne Blaue said..."

Long story in Las Cruces Sun-News/Heath Haussamen, NMPolitics.net
http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/spaceport/2017/08/22/funding-woes-could-cripple-nm-spaceport-other-states-invest-space-race/582763001/

http://nmpolitics.net/index/series/spaceport-america/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/17 19:02 by Lurch_in_ABQ.

mp51w Wrote:
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> If BNSF and Amtrak had PTC installed, then the
> Rail Runner would only have
> to be responsible for CP Madrid to Santa Fe, and
> the segment into Belen.

That would never have happened. Had BNSF been required to install PTC you would no longer have a SW Chief running via Raton.

Gordon

trainjunkie Wrote:
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> Was this a surprise to them? Did they not know
> they would have to comply with the PTC mandate, as
> idiotic as it is?


They did not. Railrunner was started before the PTC mandate .
But if you want to play in big league railroading.....

I understood the Spaceport idea was being replaced / supplanted by Cape Canaveral / Cape Kennedy launch site. They're firing stuff every week or two.