Durango Railroad To Resume Trips To Silverton In May

Above, the Durango train at Rockwood Station last September. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Train buffs rejoice!

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad will resume trips to Silverton.

The Journal (of Cortez, Colorado) reported:

In a major breakthrough, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad announced Friday it would resume trips to Silverton in May.

“It’s hard to believe the last passenger train that went up to Silverton was in October 2019,” said railroad manager Jeff Johnson. “I can’t wait.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the D&SNG could operate at only 50% capacity, which meant making the full trip from Durango to Silverton was no longer financially viable. Even if it was, a rainstorm washed out a portion of the tracks last spring, including a bridge, that made trips impossible for eight to 16 weeks.

The D&SNG operated through the summer, making smaller trips, mostly from the Rockwood to Cascade stations. But for the first time in Silverton’s history, the town went without the railroad for an entire summer.

Johnson said D&SNG officials worked hard in recent weeks to think of ways to make it financially feasible to offer trips to Silverton this season.

In the end, the D&SNG decided to increase the number of its high-end seats to offset the cost of losing 50% of its capacity, which is the current capacity requirement, according to public health orders.

Starting May 22, the D&SNG will send one locomotive to Silverton with up to 165 seats. On busier days, the railroad will add coaches to allow for 265 passengers, Johnson said.

Above, the Durango train at Highline while en route to Cascade Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I last rode the train in September from Rockwood to Cascade Canyon. The washout took place weeks before. It was still an enjoyable ride. We still managed to visit Silverton, but by car.

Durango is only about a three-hour drive from my home in New Mexico.

To read more, go here.