The recent rise in gas prices has led to an increase in residents opting to utilize the Rail Runner for alternative transportation.
Inflation and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have sent gas prices soaring in the United States, including New Mexico, where stations are charging more than $4 a gallon, according to KRQE.
“We’ve seen a tremendous impact on the Rail Runner, in large part due to gas prices,” Augusta Meyers, spokesperson for Rail Runner, told KRQE. “Last week, we went from an 800 daily ridership to 1,200, so that was a 50% increase.”
The numbers haven’t reached pre-pandemic norms, which were 5,000 roundtrips a day, according to Meyers. There has been a steady increase linked to the energy crisis, however.
“What we’ve seen in the past, for about every 10 cents that gas goes up per gallon, we see about 10% more on the train,” Meyers said to KRQE.
She expects ridership to increase as more people return to their offices for work. Even those who commute one or two days a week would validate a $121 full-access monthly pass. “If there’s a silver lining to the exorbitant gas prices, it’s the fact that the Rail Runner is still pretty steady; [it] offers an easy way to commute and certainly less expensive,” Meyers said.
The Rail Runner is in the process of making major upgrades for passengers. Wi-Fi is available on the trains and many of the seats have been changed from fabric to vinyl, according to KRQE.
