The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is the only train that offers quick, easy service from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico. The train, which also makes stops throughout Albuquerque’s metro, zips through ancient Pueblo lands with stunning scenic views on its way to historic Santa Fe. Tickets are available onboard or online.
Whether you have a car or not, getting from Albuquerque to Santa Fe is an easy trip. The Rail Runner Express train connects the two cities with high-speed, no-hassle transportation for visitors and commuters alike. The Rail Runner jaunt has been wildly popular since its inaugural run for reasons beyond the obvious economic savings to regular travelers.
The Rail Runner, painted to mimic the state bird, the roadrunner, speeds through time as well as landscape. The scenery between Albuquerque and Santa Fe hasn’t changed much since Don Pedro de Peralta marched his army north along the Rio Grande and founded Santa Fe 400 years ago. The imposing peaks and buttes of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains offer stunning quintessential New Mexico scenery.
The tracks cut through some of North America’s oldest settlements, the Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Domingo, Isleta and Cochiti Pueblos, with glimpses of the villages and mission churches. Native Americans living there ask train passengers to refrain from taking photos while passing through.
A Day Trip To Santa Fe
A day trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe offers a culturally rich, fun and unique experience. A few ideas for a day trip from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, from the Santa Fe Depot Rail Runner stop include:
The Rail Runner stops at the Santa Fe Depot in the historic Railyard District. Across the tracks, you can browse the shops and specialty boutiques at the Sanbusco Market Center and grab a meal at a restaurant. One block away, galleries, boutiques, antique and craft stores, and restaurants line South Guadalupe.
Reaching the 400-year-old plaza, the heart and soul of Santa Fe, is as easy as an eight-block walk. Or you can grab the free Santa Fe Pick-Up shuttle at the depot. The bus circles the plaza, with stops at the Main Library and 19th-century Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, both one block from the plaza, and at Canyon Road. A museum shuttle takes you to Museum Hill.
At the plaza, Native American vendors line the sidewalk in front of the one-story Palace of the Governors, built in 1610. Stores along the blocks surrounding the plaza range from souvenir shops to high-end galleries and Southwestern fashion boutiques. The Museum of Fine Arts, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, New Mexico History Museum and Institute of American Indian Arts are all within a few blocks of the plaza.
Art galleries line winding Canyon Road. If contemporary art is your interest, the galleries will thrill your spirit and challenge your credit limit. Once a trail along the river, the narrow lane has one of the highest concentrations of fine art in the Southwest.
Dramatic outdoor sculptures from renowned Native American artists are highlights of the courtyard at Museum Hill. You can easily spend a day touring the four world-class museums. The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture exhibits more than 70,000 objects from native cultures of the Southwest, ranging from ancestral artifacts to cutting-edge contemporary art. The Museum of International Folk Art contains an incredible collection of toys, textiles and religious art from cultures around the world. Dioramas with hundreds of hand-carved figures depict important aspects of indigenous village life. The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, in an eight-sided building inspired by a traditional Navajo hogan, displays contemporary and historic Native American art. The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art features objects from throughout the Spanish colonial world. Each museum contains a tempting gift shop, and a central café provides delectable lunch offerings.
After a full day of exploring “The City Different,” you'll enjoy relaxing in the comfort of the stylish Rail Runner coaches on your return trip. Kick back in the upper level, and soak in the panoramic views as the train chauffeurs you back to Albuquerque. - Visit Albuquerque
In 2003, the New Mexico Regional Transit District Act (Chapter 73, Article 25, NMSA 1978) was passed, enabling the formation of multi-jurisdictional transit agencies. The purpose of this legislation was to:
Provide safe and efficient regional transit services
Reduce congestion, crashes, and pollution caused by single-occupant vehicles
Extend the life of the state's roads by reducing traffic
Provide transportation alternatives to residents, particularly transit-dependent groups such as seniors, youth, low-income, and mobility-impaired residents
Provide residents with better access to education and higher-paying jobs
Reduce oil dependence
On March 29, 2005, the New Mexico Transportation Commission approved the formation of the Mid-Region Transit District, encompassing Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Valencia counties, as well as most of the cities, towns, and villages within those counties. At the same time, the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) was proceeding with plans for commuter rail between Belen and Santa Fe - the New Mexico Rail Runner Express - which began operating between Downtown Albuquerque and the U.S. 550 Station in July 2006. The service soon expanded to Los Lunas and Belen, and in December 2008 the route was completed as trains began running to Santa Fe.
In 2008, the Mid-Region Transit District was renamed the Rio Metro Regional Transit District, and that year voters in the three counties approved a 1/8-cent gross receipts tax to fund Rio Metro, with half of the revenues dedicated to rail and half to the overall Rio Metro system. In 2009 the tax took effect and Rio Metro assumed management of the Rail Runner from MRCOG. Rio Metro began providing bus service in 2010 after consolidating several small transit agencies in Valencia and Sandoval counties, and it also began providing whole or partial funding to some ABQ Ride routes of regional significance, enabling ABQ Ride to extend its services to the Rail Runner and Rio Rancho. - New Mexico Rail Runner Express
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