NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico’s commuter rail system, the Rail Runner, will be getting new security upgrades this year.
The Rio Metro Regional Transit District recently selected a contractor to install cameras inside the trains. “So I think it’s just kind of a sign of the times we’re in. And it also gives passengers and people riding the train that extra level of, you know, safety and security, I think,” said Augusta Meyers, communications manager for the New Mexico Railrunner Express.
At this time, Rio Metro Regional Transit is planning to purchase the equipment in approximately 30 days. From there, installation will take place over three to four months.
“We feel like this will help us better understand people’s behaviors when they’re riding. If something were to happen or somebody reported something, which we encourage, we want to be able to go back and look at that,” Meyers explained.
Cameras on the trains will help bolster security, which currently includes a security officer on board each train and cameras at the multiple train stations along the route that spans from Belen to Santa Fe.
While nothing is changing with the unarmed security guards, Rio Metro did recently make a slight change with the cameras at the stations. “We have upgraded the cameras that we’ve had at our stations. And that was done fairly recently, just because technology is improving on the daily. And so we want to make sure we have state-of-the-art cameras that show us as much as possible,” said Meyers.
Security on the Rail Runner has been a topic that has been revisited from time to time, most notably in 2022 when a man named Luis Sanchez stabbed three people on the train. Sanchez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the incident.
In April 2025, the Rio Metro Transit District, New Mexico Department of Transportation, Herzog Transit Services Inc., and Precision Security LLC reached a settlement agreement after one of the stabbing victims filed a lawsuit.
The defendants denied any wrongdoing, and as part of the agreement, the victim was awarded $700,000, and the lawsuit was dismissed.
Still today, the Rail Runner emphasizes that it is a safe transportation option in New Mexico, reiterating that a serious crime of that nature has only happened once in the train’s nearly 20 years of passenger service. “But we feel like in nearly 20 years of service with such an isolated incident, you know, it’s an opportunity for us to, yes, take a closer look at security and make sure we’re doing all we can, but also make sure that our security officers are trained in the best way possible,” said Meyers.
