The latest NARP newsletter carried the sad news that the Thruway bus connection is now at ABQ, (an 8 hour bus ride to Denver instead of 4 hours), due to a "restructering" of the TNM&O bus company by parent Greyhound.
From my experience on the SWC, there were a lot of people using this bus. Many were just ABQ-DEN. This was supposed to be the LA-DEN substitute for the loss of the Desert Wind.
We can always dream of a future "Front Range" line that would return rail service to this scenic route with state involvement, now that New Mexico owns the Belen-Trinidad segment. Perhaps even El Paso-Cheyenne?
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
That is a shame. Maybe Amtrak should offer the service themselves rather than rely on this outfit. Can't imagine anyone taking an 8 hour bus ride - especially since they'll be following the train on the nearby interstate.
Amtrak should extend the bus connection through Denver north to Boulder, Ft.Collins and Cheyenne which would help both the SWC and CZ.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Greyhound and their subsidiaries are falling on their swords all over the place. Routes have been slashed and stations have been closed nationwide.....bus/rail connections are practically non-existent in the southeast now. It's a shame really.
Posted by Kiernan (Member # 3828) on :
I thought there was something funny going on, but I didn't follow it up. A few weeks ago I wanted to go to Denver and I checked the Amtrak website for Lamy to Denver. It said that the service didn't exist. I just thought that there was something funny with the website.
When I was riding from Denver to Lamy and back regularly around five years ago, six to ten people would be on the bus. You had to leave Denver at around six in the morning, but it was good connection, and even though you got in late to Denver, the Mall buses were still running.
There is lots of passenger demand between Denver and Albuquerque. TMN&O runs a couple of buses each day and El Paso-Los Angeles Express and Americanos both run buses. It's a shame we can't get a train there.