Birds as in Roadrunners. The Inevitable financial crunch seems to have come to roost on Gov. Richardson's Rail Runner commuter railroad, reports the Albuquerque journal September 2. The report says Rail Runner operating costs "could rise to $20 million a year, up from $9.5 million currently. Note, there is no mention of revenue. The railroad is part of an overall financial squeeze on money to spend for transportation infrastructure. A task force has been formed to address the situation. We will work to bring you the group's report.
We have asked the administration for a list of task forces. Twice. To no avail.
The most interesting new aspect of the railroad's fortunes comes in Socorro where legislators have their eye on the bird and the pork that it might bring. According to the Mountain Mail, the group spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Socorro Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Commerce and Industry. According to the newspaper, "State Sen. David Ulibarri, Sen. Ben Altamirano, and Rep. Don Tripp each spoke about the importance of extending the Railrunner passenger train service to Socorro. 'The RailRunner will never be able to make any money,” Tripp said. “But the economic benefits to Socorro and the surrounding area would be far reaching.'"
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