LAMY, N.M. — The New Mexico Rail Passengers Coalition held a rally at the old depot in Lamy, N.M. to Save the Southwest Chief. Fifty people gathered in the park, the former location of El Ortiz Hotel, to hear elected officials and their representatives speak their support, on Oct. 18, for the continued operation of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief that serves rural communities in New Mexico.
Opening the event, NMRPC President Adrian Gurule introduced New Mexico Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate, Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Oliver spoke of the importance of rail transportation and the influence of train travel in her life growing up. “We all understand the importance of maintaining what we currently have in rail transportation,” Oliver says. “It’s incredibly important to our rural communities. We need to provide low cost access to transportation to everyone in rural America.”
Caroline Buerkle, representing Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, reinforced the support that Grisham spoke of during a spring 2019 Southwest Chief rally in Las Vegas, N.M. Buerkle also said that the governor supports better service from the New Mexico Rail Runner commuter train that runs between Santa Fe and Belen, N.M.
Other speakers included Santa Fe City Councilor Peter Ives, Sandoval (N.M.) County Treasurer Laura Montoya, and Patricia Dominguez from New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich’s office. NMRPC Vice President Alex Ramos read a prepared statement from the Rail Passengers Association chef and transit advocate Madison Butler and RPA President Jim Matthews. “As the largest rail passenger advocacy in the United States we want to express our support for the supporters of rail advocacy and long distance networking.”
