Study finds local rail line "feasible," Project moves Forward

Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM

(Courtesy: D&RGW Railfan via Wikimedia Commons)

In addition, the study finds that reducing truck traffic on major highways is a major benefit to rail, with reduced motor vehicle crashes and reduced wear and tear to roadways. The next phase of this project is already funded by a $4 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant and $1 million match from the New Mexico Match Fund.

From San Juan County

July 22, 2025

A landmark project to bring freight rail to the Four Corners has been deemed feasible from a technical and economic viewpoint.
After a historic Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2020 between the Navajo Nation and San Juan County, and grant funding from the New Mexico Legislature, HDR engineering was contracted to conduct an economic and technical feasibility study of a plan to connect the Four Corners region to the I-40 corridor by short-line rail. This marks the most progress in any effort to restore freight rail service to the area.
The study concludes that there are sufficient local products with enough demand to meet a national and international market, making the rail economically feasible. The study further examined environmental concerns of proposed routes and found that each is possible, from a high level, though there are advantages in specific alignments. No final alignment has been chosen.

In addition, the study finds that reducing truck traffic on major highways is a major benefit to rail, with reduced motor vehicle crashes and reduced wear and tear to roadways.

The study also points to increased economic activity both during construction and operation of a freight line. Projections include a total of 2,000 jobs during construction with up to 17,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs while the freight line is in operation, 10,000 of those jobs in New Mexico.
The full feasibility study is online at 4CornersFreightRail.com.

The next phase of this project is already funded by a $4 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant and $1 million match from the New Mexico Match Fund. It includes 30% preliminary engineering and a final National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study, which will take about 2 years to complete. San Juan County will issue a Request for Proposal to secure an engineering consulting firm to complete this phase.

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