The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was supposed to begin its 2026 operating season over Memorial Day weekend, but has decided to push that start date back by at least two weeks due to extreme drought conditions across the Southwest.

“With deep respect for the land, forests, and communities where we operate, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission made the difficult decision to delay the start of our season,” said Mark Graybill, Colorado commissioner of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission.

The commission held an emergency meeting a week before the railroad’s planned opening and voted to postpone it until at least June 9. The railroad will conduct a review on June 2 to determine if conditions have improved enough to safely operate.

Guests holding reservations for affected departures have been contacted directly by the railroad’s reservations department. Passengers may choose either a full refund or rebooking on a later departure.

As of late May, extreme drought conditions were persisting across northern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado. While in recent years the railroad has converted at least two of its locomotives to burn oil so that it can operate in dry conditions, management felt the conditions were too extreme even for an oil burner.

—Justin Franz