BNSF Railway will cease freight service over its Raton Pass line effective at the end of this year, Trains has learned. BNSF Spokesman Joe Faust confirmed the decision this afternoon. Stay tuned for updates...
I hope this does not mean a reroute of the SW Chief from this very scenic route. Perhaps Amtrak can work with the State of New Mexico that now owns a portion of it to continue service.
CG96 Member # 1408
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I thought that Amtrak worked some sort of deal with the State of NM, that service would remain for the forseeable future. This has been a long time coming. When I attended Philmont Scout Ranch ( a source of considerable ridership for Amtrak via Raton) in the 1980s, there was discussion among those on the train that Santa Fe would re-route the Chief once all traffic over the Raton Pass terminated.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Not certain but it seems like I read somewhere that the state of New Mexico intends to purchase the line all the way from Belen to Trinidad, CO in order to preserve it for passenger service.
We'll see.
gp35 Member # 3971
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This would mean Amarillo service, right?
smitty195 Member # 5102
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I'm not familiar enough with this line, other than being a passenger on the Southwest Chief several times. Why would BNSF stop running trains here? Is there something bad about this route? Or did they find another way to get trains from Point A to Point B? I'm confused as to why this line would close down.
jp1822 Member # 2596
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Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but BNSF's route via the "Belen Cutoff," as I believe it is called (via Amarillo), has been upgraded in terms of capacity and trackage. Thus, this will allow what BNSF has often considered the Raton Pass route - as the secondary and relief route for BNSF via Raton - to be considered perhaps obsolete / duplicative.
I too hope we still see the Southwest Chief operating on its current route. However, rumors have always been surfacing about a re-route on the Belen cutoff for the Southwest Chief. Such a re-route would bypass ABQ, but I would imagine the Southwest Chief would to a backtrack to get into ABQ. However, I think there is some Boy Scout Camp via the Raton Pass route that still generates siginificant ridership for the Southwest Chief - let alone access from Lamy to Santa Fe.
How far along is New Mexico in buying the route all the way to Trinidad? For some reason, I thought they had already bought much of the route. Maintenance on the line is definitely going to be an issue if BNSF relinquishes the line. I know BNSF still operated a number of coal trains via Raton when I was last on the Southwest Chief a few years back. And I think there is still some local industry on the line that uses rail service. If New Mexico doesn't secure the line by purchasing it, perhaps they can partner with Amtrak. I think it would be worth while for both. Tourist trains (i.e. GrandLuxe) also use this line for access into Santa Fe.
rresor Member # 128
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Okay, the problem with the Raton Pass route is two sections of 3.25% ruling grade, one on Raton and one on Glorieta Pass. These grades preclude the operation of the long, heavy freight trains that are economical today. The reason UP took the Royal Gorge route out of service is the same -- a ruling grade of more than 3% on the west side.
The coal trains used to run from York Canyon, NM to Kaiser Steel in Fontana, CA. Kaiser is gone. It's a big green field now. York Canyon is closed. For some years, Raton has served mostly as a detour route for high-priority intermodal trains (which also tend not to be very heavy) when the southern route was congested. But as BNSF adds double track and "decongests" the southern route, Raton becomes less necessary as a bypass.
All that having been said, with capacity being in such short supply on railroads today, we'll have to see whether Raton stays shut, or whether this is only the latest of several temporary closures going back to pre-BNSF days.
John Hull Member # 4465
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According to Wikipedia the state of New Mexico now owns the track from Belen to the state border near Trinidad. The Railrunner commuter service is already operating over a fifty-mile section and plans are advanced to extend this into Santa Fe. I cannot imagine that this route will close now that it is owned by the state. John
George Harris Member # 2077
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Here are the specifics on the state purchase of this line. See:
In December 2005, the state of New Mexico and BNSF signed an agreement for BNSF to sell the state nearly 300 miles of line, extending from Belen over Raton Pass to Trinidad, Colorado over a three-year period.
1. New Mexico assumed ownership of the first 51 miles, between Belen and Bernalillo, on January 10, 2006. This was for $50 million
2. New Mexico assumed ownership of the next 48 miles, between Bernalillo and Lamy, on January 10, 2007. This was for $20 million
3. New Mexico is scheduled to assume ownership of remaining 200 miles, between Lamy and Trinidad CO on December 5, 2008. This will be for $5 million
In other words, it appears that BNSF all but gave away Lamy to Trinidad. This does leave Trinidad to La Junta in question.
NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION—ACQUISITION EXEMPTION—CERTAIN ASSETS OF BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY Decided: February 3, 2006
On December 6, 2005, New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), an agency of the State of New Mexico and a noncarrier, filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) certain right-of-way and trackage, totaling approximately 297.1 miles in Valencia, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, San Miguel, Mora, and Colfax Counties, NM, and Las Animas County, CO. The rail line extends between milepost 932.1 in Belen, NM, on BNSF’s El Paso Subdivision and milepost 635.0 in Trinidad, CO, on BNSF’s Raton Subdivision.
NMDOT states that, pursuant to a draft purchase and sale agreement between the parties, BNSF would in three separate phases convey to NMDOT the right-of-way, track, and other real property and assets associated with the line, subject to BNSF’s retention of a permanent, exclusive freight railroad operating easement. NMDOT states that it would not acquire any rights from BNSF to act as a common carrier and would not be providing service over the line.
NMDOT states that it plans to acquire the line for the purpose of providing commuter rail operations, and that it would not acquire the right or obligation to conduct freight rail service of any kind over the line. NMDOT states that, concurrently with the parties’ purchase and sale agreement, BNSF and NMDOT would enter into a joint use agreement governing their respective operations on the line. The joint use agreement provides that: (1) NMDOT would take over responsibility for track maintenance upon acquisition of each segment of the line; (2) BNSF would continue to dispatch all trains operating on the line until after closing on the third phase of the acquisition, at which time NMDOT would have the right to take over dispatching; and (3) commuter service would have priority over freight service during defined operating windows, but only so long as BNSF retained the ability to provide its freight service and Amtrak service was provided in accordance with statutory and contractual standards.
NMDOT maintains that its acquisition does not constitute an acquisition of a railroad line subject to the Board’s jurisdiction. According to NMDOT, because it has not acquired the property and contractual rights necessary to conduct or control common carrier freight rail operations on the line, it has not become a rail carrier providing transportation subject to the Board’s jurisdiction. NMDOT cites a number of cases in support of its position that this transaction is not subject to Board regulation.
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Reading this, it appears that if BNSF ceases freight service on the line, then no one else can use it for freight, so effectively it is abandoned as a freight carrier. Note in the text: "BNSF’s retention of a permanent, exclusive freight railroad operating easement."
George
palmland Member # 4344
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George, thanks for the detailed info. I guess the question now is, will Amtrak pay enough to cover the maintenance cost to NMDOT to allow the line to continue to be used by the Chief. Or will it be financially better for the state to rail bank the line until / if they need it for state sponsored service to Colorado and the Denver metro area.
I suspsect BNSF will keep the Trinidad to LaJunta portion in operation as I believe they can connect from their former FW&D Denver - Amarillo line to the LaJunta- Las Animas - Amarillo route as well as east to KC.
I wonder if BNSF would consider selling the right to operate freight on Raton line to a short line with lower operating cost. The San Luis and Rio Grande that now operates Walsenburg - Antonito - Alamosa comes to mind.
George Harris Member # 2077
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Really see no reason that would stop BNSF from selling the freight operation to a short line. Took a look at the BNSF division maps. Here is the breakdown of the locations along the portion sold:
554.9 La Junta CO (Denver line junction) 635.0 beginning point of sale 635.8 Trinidad CO 651.8 Wootton (approximate location of CO/NM state line) 659.5 Raton NM 770.1 Las Vegas 825.2 Glorietta 835.2 Lamy 854.6 Waldo (new line to Santa Fe starts near here) 886.0 Bernalillo 902.4 Albuquerque 915.0 Isleta (begin connection to Transcon used by SW Chief) 932.1 End point of sale 932.4 Belen Jct.
George
RRCHINA Member # 1514
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BNSF's line between LJ and Trinidad serves the military site PINON CANYON with a spur track at Simpson, about 30 miles north of Trinidad. This site is a large training facility for Fort Carson and is slated for expansion. The Army moves their equipment between the two sites by train.
Loaded Wyoming coal trains come east from Pueblo to Las Amimas Jct and then go south through Boise City, OK to Amarillo. Empties go from Amarillo to Trinidad and Pueblo via the old C&S line.
BNSF"S relinquishment of freight service south from Trinidad should not affect the SWC operation unless there are track maintenance issues with the new owners of the railroad, State of NM.
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