This grant will fund land acquisition for the new mexico rail runner express (NMRX) operations and maintenance facility (OMF).

The Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration awarded Rio Metro Regional Transit District $3.751 million on March 25, 2026, under the Community Project Funding Congressionally Directed Spending program (CFDA 20.534) to acquire approximately eight acres of privately-owned land adjoining eight acres of railroad right-of-way for the New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX) Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF).

Rio Metro will consolidate currently dispersed NMRX maintenance operations at the 16-acre site, eliminating documented safety risks to employees associated with outdoor locomotive and railcar maintenance and portable equipment use. The facility will reduce time and cost for major maintenance tasks, decrease train movements and idling in the yard with associated emissions impacts to neighboring communities, lower exterior lighting noise and dust levels, improve resiliency to flooding and weather interference, eliminate exposure of fuel lubricants and fluids to weather events, support higher future NMRX frequencies, retain minimal deadhead distance to downtown Albuquerque station, and incorporate energy-efficient technologies.

Performance of performance is New Mexico. The period of performance runs from March 25, 2026, through October 1, 2028. Rio Metro performs all work directly with no sub-recipients involved.

Activities

RIO metro will use the awarded funds to acquire approximately eight acres of privately-owned land that adjoin eight acres of railroad right-of-way. In total the 16-acre site will become the future home of OMF which will be constructed with other federal state and local funds.

Expected outcomes

Among other benefits by acquiring the land for and later constructing the OMF RIO metro will:--eliminate documented safety risks to employees associated with the existing outdoor maintenance of locomotives and railcars and the use of portable equipment;--reduce cost and time to complete major maintenance tasks;--reduce train movements and idling in the yard and associated emissions that impact adjoining neighborhoods;--reduce exterior lighting noise and dust levels to surrounding neighborhoods;--improve resiliency to flooding and weather-related interference with maintenance tasks;--eliminate exposure of fuel lubricants and fluids to weather related events;--enable RIO metro to support higher rail runner frequencies in the future;--retain the minimal deadhead distance between the OMF and downtown albuquerque station; and – adopt energy-efficient technologies.

Intended beneficiaries

Employees (mechanical crews engineers conductors train staff etc.) neighbors and passengers will all benefit from this project.