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Santa Fe Depot (Rail Runner station)
Encyclopedia
Santa Fe Depot is the northern terminus of the New Mexico Rail Runner Express
commuter rail line. The station also serves as the northern terminus, offices, and gift shop of the Santa Fe Southern Railway, a tourist and freight carrying short line railroad. It is located in Santa Fe
, New Mexico
at 410 Guadalupe Street, within an area of urban renewal
referred to as the "Railyard". Rail Runner service to the station began on December 17, 2008.
The station is served by Santa Fe Trails
routes 2, 4, and M, a shuttle connecting the station to several locations in and around downtown Santa Fe, a shuttle service to Taos
, and a shuttle to the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Pojoaque Pueblo.
Each of the Rail Runner stations contains an icon to express each community's identity. The icon representing this station is a locomotive, representing the history of the rail yard
at the site; however the station is devoid of the Rail Runner's distinctive signage portraying the station name and icon.
, New Mexico, 18 miles to the south. The spur line was built to connect the railroad's namesake destination to its system when the prohibitive grades into Santa Fe were bypassed by the westward expanding railroad's mainline. An expansive network of track once dominated the area around the Santa Fe Depot, which at its height was served by another station for narrow gauge
trains traveling to the north and south.
The ATSF ceased offering passenger train service to Santa Fe with the advent of the Interstate Highway System
and replaced it with a motorcoach connection operating up to four daily roundtrips to connect with their long distance trains at Lamy. The operation of motorcoaches was later turned over to Amtrak
and private bus shuttle companies. As the area's industrial activity declined, much of the track and facilities were sold off in favor of other uses.
Scheduled passenger rail was restored as a tourist operation with the Santa Fe Southern Railway's purchase of the freight-only Santa Fe spur, including the depot, in the early 1990s. Much of the rail yard was purchased by the City of Santa Fe which later established an enterprise, the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation, to oversee the urban renewal
of its parcel. The master plan for the transformation preceded the Rail Runner by several years but the arrival of the Rail Runner was nonetheless accommodated. The result of the development, which was mostly complete as of January 2009, is a train themed district housing community uses such as a park, a youth center, Site Santa Fe
, a farmers' market
, and commercial activities alongside the working railroads. The park was designed with input from local residents, and was made possible through funding and support from The Trust for Public Land
.
New Mexico Rail Runner Express
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Mid Region Council of Governments , a regional government planning association, while...
commuter rail line. The station also serves as the northern terminus, offices, and gift shop of the Santa Fe Southern Railway, a tourist and freight carrying short line railroad. It is located in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
at 410 Guadalupe Street, within an area of urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
referred to as the "Railyard". Rail Runner service to the station began on December 17, 2008.
The station is served by Santa Fe Trails
Santa Fe Trails
Santa Fe Trails is the local transit agency in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe Trails operates eight bus routes which serve most areas of the city...
routes 2, 4, and M, a shuttle connecting the station to several locations in and around downtown Santa Fe, a shuttle service to Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, and a shuttle to the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Pojoaque Pueblo.
Each of the Rail Runner stations contains an icon to express each community's identity. The icon representing this station is a locomotive, representing the history of the rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
at the site; however the station is devoid of the Rail Runner's distinctive signage portraying the station name and icon.
History
The depot proper was the namesake station of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) since February 9, 1880 and for most of the twentieth century. The depot is the northern terminus of a former ATSF spur line running from Santa Fe to LamyLamy (Amtrak station)
The Lamy Amtrak station is located at Santa Fe County Road 33, 152 Old Lamy Trail in Lamy, New Mexico, United States. The station also serves as the southern terminus for the Santa Fe Southern Railway...
, New Mexico, 18 miles to the south. The spur line was built to connect the railroad's namesake destination to its system when the prohibitive grades into Santa Fe were bypassed by the westward expanding railroad's mainline. An expansive network of track once dominated the area around the Santa Fe Depot, which at its height was served by another station for narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
trains traveling to the north and south.
The ATSF ceased offering passenger train service to Santa Fe with the advent of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
and replaced it with a motorcoach connection operating up to four daily roundtrips to connect with their long distance trains at Lamy. The operation of motorcoaches was later turned over to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and private bus shuttle companies. As the area's industrial activity declined, much of the track and facilities were sold off in favor of other uses.
Scheduled passenger rail was restored as a tourist operation with the Santa Fe Southern Railway's purchase of the freight-only Santa Fe spur, including the depot, in the early 1990s. Much of the rail yard was purchased by the City of Santa Fe which later established an enterprise, the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation, to oversee the urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
of its parcel. The master plan for the transformation preceded the Rail Runner by several years but the arrival of the Rail Runner was nonetheless accommodated. The result of the development, which was mostly complete as of January 2009, is a train themed district housing community uses such as a park, a youth center, Site Santa Fe
Site Santa Fe
SITE Santa Fe is a non-profit contemporary arts organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since its founding, SITE Santa Fe has gained worldwide recognition through a series of biennial exhibitions that have featured numerous famous artists...
, a farmers' market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
, and commercial activities alongside the working railroads. The park was designed with input from local residents, and was made possible through funding and support from The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land is a land conservation nonprofit founded in 1972 by Huey Johnson and based in San Francisco, California in the United States. TPL works throughout the United States to conserve land for people as parks, gardens, and other natural places.- TPL Conservation Initiatives :TPL...
.
External links
- Stations, Santa Fe Depot Official Rail Runner site
- Santa Fe Railyard