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If you’ve long wanted to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad but didn’t want to devote a full day to the endeavor, the Highline Express, which debuted on July 1, might be the track for you. The railroad created the new offering this summer in an effort to offer more flexibility to customers—and to deliver some of the route’s most stunning views in a shorter time period.
“July is our high season,” says Jeffrey Johnson, vice president and general manager of the railroad. “We felt we were reaching the peak of our capacity, and some guests were coming to town after our morning trains had already left.”
By offering the Highline Express, guests who don’t have reservations can show up day-of and still get a seat on the evening train—an offering that hasn’t existed from the railroad in decades. “So far, we haven’t had to turn anyone away,” Johnson says. “We’ve had well in excess of 200 people on board each night.”
The Highline Express has been departing the station in Durango at 4:30 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this month, arriving at the Highline—a two-mile catwalk 400 feet above the Animas River—at 6 p.m. That stretch features the most iconic and photoworthy bend, Horseshoe Curve, so even the abridged rides reach the goods.
The train temporarily stops on the Highline before reversing back into nearby Rockwood Station, where the locomotive detaches and moves to the opposite end of the train. The Express arrives back in Durango at 8:10 p.m., marking a roundtrip experience in less than four hours.
Time, however, is running short. Only four dates remain on the calendar: Wednesday, July 24, Monday, July 29, Tuesday, July 30, and Wednesday, July 31. The Express will not run in August, Johnson says, but it’s possible the offering could reemerge in the future. “We’ve found such a great response that we’re going to be looking at other periods in which we run peak traffic,” Johnson says. He doesn’t know precisely when that might be, but there could be offerings in the fall or during the busy spring break season next year. “It’s highly likely we’ll do it again next summer,” he notes.
Tickets start at $81 for adults and $57 for children. The train features live entertainment, a full concession, and the option to pre-order a meal for the ride. Reserve a spot online.
