Fewer riders took the Rail Runner Express in the last quarter of 2010, in part because there were fewer trains to take after Saturday service was reduced.

New numbers show passengers in the last quarter of 2010 took 268,793 trips, compared with 301,386 in the fourth quarter of 2009.

"(The difference) is almost entirely explained by our loss of ridership on the weekends," said Chris Blewett, the train project manager.

Setting that aside, Blewett said he sees the ridership numbers at the end of last year as comparable with the same quarter in 2009.

October of last year saw a drop of 15.7 percent compared with the previous October, when the train offered a popular special service for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. November 2010 saw the lowest ridership of the two years, with passengers making 81,972 trips, compared with 90,105 the same month the year before, an almost 9 percent decrease. December saw a decrease of almost 7 percent.

The numbers aren't good news for train advocates who hope to keep the service from Belen to Santa Fe in the face of what is sure to be a hard look by Gov. Susana Martinez.

The governor has said she wouldn't have built the train had she been governor at the time, but wants to look at ways that it could be improved, including possibly selling it to a private company. The new administration, however, has no concrete plans yet.

"As the governor indicated during the campaign, she thinks it's important for us to review the Rail Runner and all expenditures associated with it, particularly to explore how the train can become more of a self-sustaining operation and less reliant on taxpayer dollars," spokesman Scott Darnell said Thursday. "This review, which is ongoing, includes looking at fares and schedules in order to ensure that New Mexicans are being well-served and their tax dollars are being put to wise use."

While the ridership numbers declined for the last six months of 2010 compared with the second half of 2009, the decrease isn't necessarily a trend. Between the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years, the number of trips increased from 1.08 to 1.24 million.

Opponents say they are not surprised by the latest numbers. "The novelty is continuing to wear off and ridership is dropping. Eventually it'll hit a bottom, maybe in a year or two," said Paul Gessing of the conservative Rio Grande Foundation, which has opposed the large taxpayer subsidies for the train and is suggesting cutting the service as a way to balance the budget.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com.