If you’ve driven from Albuquerque to Santa Fe in the past few months, you’ve probably seen the tracks laid along the I-25 median north of La Bajada hill. By December, the Rail Runner promises to be heating those iron rails at speeds up to 80 mph.

Considering station stops along the way, and a speed restriction of 35 mph inside the Santa Fe city limits, the Rail Runner’s projected travel time from Alvarado Station to downtown Santa Fe is one hour and 20 minutes.

“We wanted to make sure our starting point was competitive with auto travel times during the peak periods, and based on our auto travel time analysis, they are,” says Chris Blewitt, transportation coordinator for the Mid-Region Council of Governments, which oversees the Rail Runner. “I drive from downtown Albuquerque to downtown Santa Fe all the time during the peak periods, and the running average is about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but finding parking in downtown Santa Fe often costs me another 10 minutes or so.”

Blewitt says auto travel times between Albuquerque and Santa Fe will continue to degrade over time, “so we feel pretty good about our starting point.”

As stations are added, Blewitt says it’s likely a Rail Runner express service will be added be to keep the travel time competitive with vehicles.

Meanwhile, commuting costs already make Rail Runner an excellent alternative to automobiles for Albuquerque-to-Santa Fe drivers. A day pass costs $9 for unlimited Rail Runner ridership, or a monthly pass is $100. By comparison, according to MRCOG’s Web site, a five-day-per-week commute adds up to an average $360-per-month fuel cost. When vehicle maintenance and insurance is factored in, monthly commuting cost estimates increase to almost $500.

According to MRCOG, the Albuquerque to Santa Fe I-25 corridor averages an automobile accident every other day, causing frequent delays for auto commuters. The Rail Runner also promises to be unencumbered by inclement weather.