All Aboard!

City Partners with Sky Railway to Bring

Themed Train Excursions to Revitalized

Santa Fe Railyard

January 13, 2022 — An exciting public-private partnership between the City of Santa Fe and Sky Railway—a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Southern Railway helmed by the creative minds behind Meow Wolf and Violet Crown—brings a new attraction to the revitalized historic Railyard. Recently the City and Sky Railway formalized an agreement on how Sky Railway will operate in the Railyard, including plans for a permanent platform for loading and unloading. 

Sky Railway launched in December of 2021 and had a successful first month, welcoming thousands of passengers aboard its immersive experiences which departed from both Santa Fe and Lamy, including its Christmas train which will become an annual holiday tradition. Keeping up the momentum and rolling into 2022, Sky Railway will expand its rail adventures to offer new experiences such as Chef on Wheels dining, stargazing, and the wild west themed Outlaw Express. It will also continue its popular murder mystery train, Murder on the Lamy Line, and its immersive theater train featuring the Exodus Ensemble. Look for these new adventures when the railway resumes regular service in March. Between now and March, Sky Railway is available for private charter excursions. For more information visit www.skyrailway.com. 

The 18-mile rail spur between Santa Fe and Lamy was purchased in 2020 by a trio of rail enthusiasts whose names might be familiar to many Santa Feans: Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, Violet Crown owner and entrepreneur Bill Banowsky, and local philanthropist and arts advocate Catherine Oppenheimer. The group, joined by Santa Fe artist Gary Oakley and author Douglas Preston, purchased the spur, two engines, and several rail cars with a plan to revive the 141-year-old railway into an adventure train for locals and tourists.

”We want to thank the Santa Fe community for embracing Sky Railway and making our first month in operation a huge success,” says Bill Banowsky, co-owner of Sky Railway. “We look forward to the future and plan to constantly change up our adventures to provide locals with new and exciting experiences and to draw new visitors to our city.”

Future plans for Sky Railway include the construction of a permanent platform for loading and unloading along Market Street beside track 4 at the Railyard, behind the Jean Cocteau Cinema.

“This collaboration is the latest step in our continued revitalization of the Santa Fe Railyard,” says Rich Brown, community and economic development director at the City of Santa Fe. “We’re excited to add train excursions to the list of adventures Santa Fe’s families and visitors can enjoy year-round.”

All Sky Railway excursions require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. For schedule and ticketing information, visit skyrailway.com or call 844-743-3759.