By Tracy Dingmann

Useful information…not rhetoric.

That’s what the two stories about the New Mexico Rail Runner in the Jan. 24 edition of the Albuquerque Journal contained.

The stories came in the wake of the Rio Metro Regional Transit District’s announcement that it will have to end weekend service if the state doesn’t come up with more money to fund it.  Possibilities for lessening the funding gap – but not closing it – include upping the cost of weekend fares or reducing some staffing. (UPDATE: Today the Journal reported that state officials have been able to repurpose $750,000 in federal funds to close the gap, though fares may still be raised and some trains may be cut).

What the stories in the Sunday package conveyed wasn’t all pleasant information, especially from the perspective of Rail Runner fans. But together the stories presented a factual and fair picture of what’s going on financially with the Rail Runner right now.

In reporter Jessica Dyer’s story, “Fares Cover 13% Of The Cost,” we learned that the Rail Runner’s fare revenue lags behind similar, more established rail systems around the country.  But the story also quotes a couple of transportation experts who note that making a profit has never been the point of public transportation systems.

“It (public transportation) exists for the common good, just like roads do,” says Virginia Miller of the American Transportation Association, a Washington, D.C.  advocacy organization.

Yes, that’s an advocacy organization Dyer quotes there.  But the point Miller makes is a valid one  - and one that’s almost always missing in the overheated rhetoric that usually accompanies discussions of the Rail Runner.

Dyer wraps up her news story by giving readers a useful, fact-filled comparison of the Rail Runner with three other similar rail systems across the country.

Now to the more feature-y “Rail Runner Dilemma: Commuters Deplore Possible Loss of Weekend Service,” by Lloyd Jojola, which begins with a lively series of quotes, including comments from an Albuquerque gallery owner who says the train has enhanced his business and several devoted riders who cherish the service.

“I would pay more, if that made a difference,” said one rider.

Jojola’s story digs more into the business community’s view of the Rail Runner and how it has benefitted commerce in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The story quotes representatives from the Downtown Action Team, the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Albuquerque Commerce, all of whom say the train has been a boon.

Both stories in the Rail Runner package tackle the significant financial problems the train now faces.

But both stories take pains to represent the good and the bad facts about the controversial train – and that’s a refreshing and much-needed change from what we usually read about the Rail Runner in the Journal.