New Mexico Rail Runner Express - Incidents

Incidents

In 2007, on April 5, a northbound train ran through a wildfire on the Isleta Pueblo reservation. No one was hurt and no equipment was damaged, but officials soon tried to find out why no one received notification of the blaze until the incident actually occurred. On the evening of August 24, a southbound train hit a vehicle at a private grade crossing south of Los Lunas. Two people in the vehicle were killed. No one aboard the train was injured. It appears that the Rail Runner personnel followed procedure. On the evening of September 19, a southbound train hit a vehicle at a private grade crossing between Belen and Los Lunas. One person in the vehicle was killed.

In 2008, during the early evening of May 14, in an apparent suicide, a man was killed after being struck by the Rail Runner as he was sitting on the tracks. On the evening of December 17, the inaugural day of service to Santa Fe, a southbound Rail Runner train struck a cow near San Felipe Pueblo.

In 2009, on the morning of March 10, a southbound Rail Runner train struck an abandoned car in the South Valley. On August 18, a northbound train was struck by a car which drove into the side of the train; the driver was killed.

In 2010, on March 22, an unscheduled stop was made by a Rail Runner crew to pick up some food at a fast food restaurant. The train was not carrying passengers at the time. On December 17, a northbound Rail Runner struck and killed a man.

In 2011, on February 2 and 3 due to very cold temperatures (-18F) tracks cracked and needed to be repaired. This caused restricted speeds and significant delays.