A train for Silverton departs Durango in June 2015.
Brian Schmidt
DURANGO, Colo. – Ridership on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is down 27 percent this year due to shutdowns related to wildfires and mudslides, the Durango Herald reports.
Since June, the railroad has had 54,000 cancellations as a result of a wildfire that shut down the railroad near Hermosa for six weeks and then a series of mudslides that impacted the railroad between Hermosa and Rockwood. Since July, the Durango & Silverton has been busing passengers from Durango to Rockwood where they board trains for the round trip to Silverton.
The railroad typically moves 197,000 passengers annually.
The railroad expects to resume regular operations between Durango and Silverton sometime in mid-September.
