After more than a year of commuter-train service linking Santa Fe with metropolitan Albuquerque, New Mexico Rail Runner Express officials say they're pleased with the number of riders who have boarded the train.

But financial challenges remain for the system, in part because how well the train does depends as much on future gross-receipts-tax revenue as on how many people board the train each day.

Amid slumping tax revenues that are used to help fund the train, the Rio Metro Regional Transit District on Tuesday night voted to eliminate all weekend train service on Feb. 15 if the train system can't make up a $750,000 shortfall.

"If the shortfall gets resolved between now and two weeks from now, we're good. If not, that's the direction the board gave us," said project manager Chris Blewett.

He said board members voted unanimously but reluctantly for the motion.

"Our board had a really hard time with this discussion because they certainly don't want to see a dramatic service cut," he said.

He added that the board "felt that was the prudent thing to do so we have some options we can exercise to have a balanced budget."

Train officials are working with the Department of Transportation and the Governor's Office to look for other possible funding sources, and ward off the cuts, Blewett said, but he said he couldn't comment on specifics of the talks.

The shortfall the system faces is in the tax revenues, Blewett said, adding that "every one of our revenues is on track except gross-receipts taxes."

Those voter-approved taxes are key, and were projected to provide $14 million of the $22 million the train system requires to operate.

Of the $14 million, $12.1 million was to come from counties around Albuquerque, and $2 million from counties around Santa Fe in fiscal year 2010.

Farebox revenue, meanwhile, was projected to provide just $2.7 million. Riders took almost 1.4 million one-way trips systemwide in 2009, according to the Mid-Region Council of Governments.

Other operating money came from the federal government and fees charged to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Amtrak for use of the tracks.

Tax revenue for the train is collected in several counties on both ends of the train's service area. Riders can take the Rail Runner from Belen to Santa Fe. Service to the capital city started in December 2008.

Blewett says the Rail Runner's revenue combination is not out of the ordinary for a transit system.

"I don't think there's anything unusual about that mix," he said in an interview last week.

While interest in the train is still high, monthly ridership figures for the entire train system in 2009, however, show a decline over the course of the year. In January, ridership was 125,907. Although it remained above 100,000 until October, ridership dipped to 90,105 in November and 95,222 in December.

The summer months were popular, and July saw 125,144 passengers.

July was also the month that the train had its worst on-time performance. MRCOG numbers show just 89.79 percent of trains were on schedule that month. The best month was October, when 98.11 percent of trains were on time.

Despite glitches in the first year of service to Santa Fe, Blewett said he expects the train to remain as popular as it is, or even grow eventually, adding that some trains between the Duke City and the City Different are constantly packed.

"We certainly get a lot of requests for additional service," he said. Some commuters have expressed interest in a mid-morning train from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, while others hope for more frequent weekend and late-night service.

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