November 2021… It’s “full steam ahead” for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
Only weeks after concluding the 2021 season, the C&TS has released its schedule for its 2022 season and is now accepting reservations. The railroad has never finalized its schedule and opened reservations so early. Typically, schedules are announced in the first quarter of the year.
According to Scott Gibbs, C&TS President, “We wanted to get out early and build on the incredible success and momentum of our 2021 season. We’re excited about the direction the C&TS is headed and want to give our fans plenty of time to plan the ride of a lifetime aboard America’s most authentic steam railroad.”
The Cumbres & Toltec set a new record for revenue in 2021 thanks to operational efficiencies introduced last year. The number of passengers who rode the railroad in 2021 did not meet the record-setting 2019 passenger numbers but was nearly to pre-pandemic levels, with only an 11 percent difference.
“We are extremely pleased with our 2021 season performance. We wondered what the lingering impacts of the pandemic would be and were concerned about the delays in opening our full schedule,” Gibbs noted. “But rail fans returned in force to support the C&TS and enjoy a steam railroad ride along the Colorado-New Mexico border. Despite the challenges, it was an outstanding season.”
The C&TS 2022 kicks off on June 11, 2022. The later opening addresses the variable weather on Cumbres Pass and ensures a more pleasant outdoor experience for passengers. The season will run through October 23, 2022.
The new 2022 schedule features a mix of offerings, including:
Full Excursion Trips travel by train the full line between Chama, NM and Antonito, Colo. and includes a one-hour bus ride. These trips are called the Antonito All Aboard and the Chama All Aboard and include lunch and motorcoach service. Adult ticket prices start at $135 for summer departures and $155 for the fall season.
Half Limited Trips travel half the C&TS line from either Chama, NM or Antonito, Colo to the mid-way point of Osier Station and back. Lunch is included and the trips, are called the Chama Limited or the Antonito Limited, are solely via train, with no bus service. Adult ticket prices start at $115 for summer departures and $135 for the fall season.
Short Express Options are perfect for people short on time, families and people who want to “chase the train” as well as ride it. The three-and-a-half hour Cumbres Express departs from Cumbres Pass at 11:10 am, heads to Osier for lunch service (included in the price) and returns to Cumbres at 2:45 p.m. Adult tickets start at $110. On Fridays in July, the Chama Express will depart Chama at 1pm and travel to Cumbres Pass, the highest operational railroad pass in the country and back to Chama by 3:30pm. Lunch is not included. Adult ticket prices start at $90, children 6-12 are $45 and children 2-5 are $25.
Special Trips are trips that do not run weekly, including the monthly 168 Brunch Special, the 168 Dinner Special, the Geology Train, which will run twice this year and the annual Wildflower (Botany) Train. In addition, there will be a special photography charter and Moonlight Dinner Train Trip only available to members of the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec. Tickets prices vary depending on the Special Trip. See website for more information.
To reward passengers who book early, the C&T is offering 15 percent off Coach seating only through December 31, 2021, with the discount code HOLIDAY22. Offer excludes gift certificates and is not valid with any other discount code.
Additionally, the C&TS will offer a one-day ‘Cyber Monday Sale’ with 15% off all classes of service (Coach, Deluxe, Parlor). The deal is only available on Monday, November 29, 2021, and can be booked online or by calling ticket reservations at 888-286-2737. This offer excludes gift certificates and is not valid with any other discount code.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad follows the original 64-miles of tracks first laid down in 1880, crossing the borders of Colorado and New Mexico 11 times, as it skirts along canyon walls through Toltec Gorge, burrows through tunnels, steams over Cascade Trestle (137-feet above a roaring river), and climbs to the top of 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass, the highest point reached by any steam railroad in North America.
The railroad has been featured in more than 40 motion pictures, including the current number one film on Netflix, The Harder They Fall as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Hostiles and more. The railroad also has the country’s largest collection of narrow-gauge locomotives and cars.
Traveling on the train provides the most authentic look at steam railroading in the 1880s. Passengers can move between cars, ride outdoors on a gondola car, listen to a steam whistle echo down a canyon, enjoy mile after mile of aspen and conifer forest, see wildlife from their seats, such as elk, deer and sometimes even bear, or visit the bar and snack car — all at a pleasant top speed of 12 mph.
To book your trip and for complete information, visit www.cumbrestoltec.com or call 1-888-286-2737.