The state is missing a lot of revenue by keeping round trip fares at rock bottom prices. The ABQ to Santa Fe senior fare is $3 one-way; a round trip fare for a senior is $5 if purchased online ($7 and $8 otherwise).
Consider that if you go to Santa Fe and have a meal at just about any restaurant is will cost you $15-20 minimum, more with a drink. The ABQ/SF route is very popular with tourists so they could double or even triple the fare and it would still get lots of patronage. The Martinez administration needs to look very seriously at fare increases if it intends to keep the RR running.
That means every time a tourist hops one of those trains they cost the taxpayers probably $15 to $25.... assuming those trains are even a quarter full. lol.
I don’t care if it was free. The future is somebody from the Feds will be grabbing my crotch. Papers please.
Even at the rediculous fare rate, I question the passenger load of that line. I have driven along side that track and the few trains on it 4 times in the last 12 months. The cars were virtually empty. The line was and is a leftist elitist pipe dream.