Per locals' recommendation, my friend and I took the Rio Metro for a day trip from Albuquerque to…read moreSanta Fe, and it was such a cool way to experience the Southwest! We started from the Montaño station, which has a spacious parking lot (free of charge) and is known for being safe. When my friend and I arrived on a weekday morning, we struggled to figure out the ticketing system. I downloaded the app, but had technical difficulties with buying round trip tickets. I explained this to the crew on board, and they were very laid back and accommodating, giving me the option to pay on board. Pro tip: Rio Metro offers discounts! My friend is a law school student and she was able to score a discounted ticket with proof of a student ID. Overall, the train was very well maintained and felt safer than other public transit options. The best part was the scenic views! I'd highly recommend the train experience over driving.

The floor on the train is really clea. The train itself is fast and easy, staff are nice. But the…read morewindows on the train could be cleaner.

Postcard from 2012…read more Albuquerque doesn't have a train station anymore. It has a 'transportation center' that the trains and the buses share. A Greyhound/Amtrak station, which I figure is the result of the same economic logic that created KFC/Taco Bell, or Long John Silver's/Arby's. Albuquerque used to have a real train station: the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Depot built in 1902. It was a Mission Revival showplace with a red tile roof and a big bell tower. A station of some consequence that made your own train trip feel consequential, too. Good architecture can do that, while bad architecture does the reverse: it makes you and whatever it is you're doing feel inconsequential and sort of pathetic. The old Santa Fe station burned down in the early 1990's, and Amtrak decamped to a little shack that sat along the tracks. I passed through Albuquerque a few times back in those days and spent plenty of time sitting in that little shack wondering how my life had gone so wrong. The train shack must have embarrassed the local bigwigs, because they finally found the cash to build the Alvarado Transportation Center, a stripped down, soulless knockoff of the original Mission Revival station. The train shack was pretty awful, but at least Amtrak didn't have to share it with Greyhound the way it does now. Greyhound is a bad roommate. The kind that hates your friends and eats your breakfast cereal and never does the dishes. Maybe the city officials who mashed up the train station and the bus station hoped Amtrak would be a good influence on Greyhound. You know, help it clean up its act and maybe get a real job. But from the look of things, I'm not sure the plan is working. My last visit here, the Southwest Chief shows up on time so everyone is in a good mood when I climb aboard. I find a seat in the lounge car and watch New Mexico slowly fade into Colorado, like a slow dissolve in an old Western movie. The landscape flies by: scrub brush, cacti, and rusted-out car chassis. "I've never seen so many trashed cars in my life!" the lady sitting next to me says, sounding appalled. I smile sympathetically. She's obviously a rookie. A novice Amtrak rider. If you ride the train in the U.S. a few times, you'll see plenty of trashed cars. You'll see the burnt out shells of buildings and mountains of discarded tires and mile-long tent cities. That's the America that the railroad tracks travel through. The country you're not supposed to see. The backside where things get piled up and stashed and discarded.

Date of travel: September 8, 2025…read more Disappointing Experience at the Albuquerque Train Station As a tourist traveling from a long distance, I expected the station to feel more welcoming. Unfortunately, it did not. The security guard appeared to be controlling access to the lobby in a way that made it feel closed off and uninviting. A train station should be a public space where travelers--especially out-of-town visitors--can wait comfortably for their bus, train, or car service. Albuquerque has the potential to be a more tourist-friendly city, but experiences like this can leave a bad impression. I hope changes are made to ensure the station is more open and welcoming in the future.

We are from out of town so had no idea what to expect. Ubered here from ABQ to go to Santa Fe. Easy…read morefor the Uber to find and drop us off. Clean area, felt safe. Train was timely. Great way to travel.

This is my favorite of all the Rail Runner stations. It's a little further outside of Albuquerque…read morebut parking is easy and they will pick you up if you want to go to Sandia in the casino shuttle. The cars tend to be safe if left over the weekend thanks to the tribal police and there are security cameras. It's also picturesque for your wait! They have benches in the shade while you wait for the train and it's never too busy. It's close to El Pinto and also Sandia Lakes for fishing!

The downtown station is nice and clean little challenging finding the platform as there is…read moreconstruction and the signage does not clearly give directions. Wish there was place to get coffee while waiting.

The downtown train station is a bit sketchy. I know they're going through some construction right…read morenow, but it was not well lit and there were a number of homeless people hanging around.

There's not much to say about this place, as its a train depot. The parking is good. Some covered…read moreparking, if you're fortunate enough to get there in time to get one of the spots (I never am). Serviceable. Good for what it's there for. There are no bathrooms at this train depot.

My kids and I decided to take a day trip up to Santa Fe. Since they had never been on the Rail…read moreRunner, we decided to take the train up. Our train departed from this 550 station. Driving over to the station off of US 550 road we relatively easy. Once you got within a block of the station, there was a sign showing you where to turn. The entrance is off the main road and behind a few buildings so it can be a little tricky, hence my 4/5 rating. Once at the station, there is covered parking for most of the lot. It's a simple 5 minute walk to the train platform. The train was on time and we had a great trip up. It was nice to see the scenery that you usually don't get to see from I-25. Also, we saved some money on gas and wear and tear on our vehicle. Overall, the station made it easy for us to have our day trip without having to go downtown to the main train station and deal with larger crowds. I definitely recommend!

Love riding the Rail Runner. On Wednesdays Seniors ride free from ABQ to Santa Fe. Approximately…read more1.5 hrs. Lots of options, so you can run up for lunch, or dinner, or a play. Both ways, north or south. Rail Runner is clean and comfortable. Crew are polite and professional. This time I had a great SF lunch with an old friend. I'll be back again soon . . on the Rail Runner, of course. And probably on a Wednesday.

It's just a train stop and that's it, but a very important one I would imagine for locals and…read moretourists alike. I waited here for the rail runner train to Albuquerque, which arrived perfectly on time, and was painless to figure out even for a visitor like me. You just wait based on the schedule, it shows up, and you can buy your ticket online or on-board. You can also buy a day pass, which is worth it if you plan to ride more than one way, a significant savings. This stop has a large parking lot for commuters, and bike lockers for those who routinely would bike to and/or from the stop. It's right in the heart of the downtown area of Santa Fe, and there are plenty of places to eat, drink, and shop nearby while you wait. For me, it was an excellent junction point for my trip. Served it's purpose, this public transit is GREAT, and the ABQ/Santa Fe area is lucky to have it.

This is probably they best option for those who hate dealing with traffic and have to commute on a…read moredaily basis. The train runs north as far as Belen and north as far as Santa Fe. They have a website with times and stops posted. I usually ride the train when I go to Santa Fe for a day out. It's easy and cheap. Tickets are 3 each way and you get discounts if you are a student or elderly. The seating is nice and they also have WiFi for those who can't live with out the internet. The staff is friendly and always helpful. Highly recommend this for trips with family and friends especially if your family is as big as mine. Almost forgot to mention they also stop in downtown Albuquerque so if you want to go brunch and ride back I won't judge. I say this because I live in Los Lunas but if you ABQ peeps wanna brunch in Santa Fe well hey the sky is the limit.

Constriction is done finally but the bulding looks nice has a bigger parking lot which is always…read moregood lots of rail runner riders out her traveling back and forth to Albuquerque.

I was on a train travel adventure and managed to get a little stranded at the Lamy station (my…read morefriend's car broke down en route to come retrieve me, and she was still hours away), but it ended up being such a bright spot in the middle of my trek. First of all, the station itself is really cool. It's tucked up near some beautiful hills and the trees surrounding the picnic area provide lovely shade and make it a picturesque place to kill a little time. Inside, there is a little waiting room with super cool art and signage, and in the back there is a cozy pub with a great beer selection and even a food menu. They have WiFi that they freely share, and that afternoon there was a guitarist playing mellow tunes while folks just hung out. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to find such a gem of a place to post up; I spent much of the time marveling at my good fortune (and drinking a tasty beer). As cool as the station is, the real find was the people who staff and patronize it. You couldn't ask for a more welcoming or warm group of humans. As soon as I asked the station master about alternative modes of transit, my plight made the rounds. Before I knew it I had complete strangers offering me rides to various points so I could meet up with my friend. And while that at first might sound a little sketch, I can honestly say that it was just well-intentioned kindness. There is a palpable sense of community that permeates the entire place, and one can't help but soak it up. I ended up accepting a ride from a lovely gentleman who was on his way north with his college-aged daughter. What could have been a stressful travel delay actually ended up being an unexpected but wonderful mini adventure, and I managed to discover a magical little realm in a small train station seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Lessons (less learned than) reiterated and reinforced: the journey is just as important as the destination, accept the kindness of strangers and then turn around and offer it to others, and when possible, stop and have a beer and a chat at the Amtrak Lamy Station.

Wonderful train station manned by friendly volunteers. Free snacks and assorted gift and drink…read moreitems to purchase (reasonably priced). Clean restrooms and the volunteers help you with your luggage. Nice folks. Historical building and there is even a brewery in one end of the building. Pretty new and since I don't drink I didn't try their brews but pretty impressive they have such a facility in a one horse town. The picnic area outside, under the shad trees, was quite nice and we had our lunch out there. Great experience.