NMT invested approximately $1.4 million to update the northern portion of the line, according to a Dec. 4 report by Sunport, New Mexico’s largest commercial airport, which is owned and operated by the City of Albuquerque’s Aviation Department. The move will allow NMT to store and handle more railcars, and the company is expected to begin paying per-car fees to Sunport in early 2026, creating a new revenue stream for the airport’s enterprise fund.
Sunport purchased the entire line in 2022 and said that combined with the nearly 400 acres it acquired in September 2025, gives it ownership of nearly 1,000 acres of undeveloped property for future economic development.
“The line was constructed for and owned by the Atomic Energy Commission to serve Sandia National Laboratory, a facility established as part of the Manhattan Project headquartered out of Los Alamos, N.Mex., during World War II,” Sunport said. “Ownership of the line transferred to Kirtland Air Force Base when Sandia was merged into Kirtland in the 1970s. The line was operated under an O&M agreement with the Santa Fe Railroad (which later became BNSF) for many years until Kirtland’s and Sandia’s mission evolved from its legacy focus on atomic research and development and the spur was no longer needed for regular use. The spur sat idle until the base decided it would not be needed for future missions and put it up for auction in 2021, when it was purchased by Sunport.”
The spur (see map, top) begins at Broadway on the main rail line and loops around I-25 through the southern edge of Sunport property, which Sunport said is suitable for large-scale industrial and logistics operations. Key industries and activities have already identified as strong opportunities for the site, it said, including industry clusters in research, applied sciences, and media and entertainment.
According to KRQE of Albuquerque, NMT took about six months to rehab the 1.5 miles of rail spur, which is expected begin operations next month.
Additional assessments are under way to rehabilitate the remainder of the line, according to Sunport, which told the media outlet that it is “working on finalizing funding to activate the remaining 2.5 miles of spur,” with work anticipated to begin by year-end 2026.
“By bringing rail, air service, and foreign trade zone benefits together in one location, we’re creating a powerful hub for business,” City of Albuquerque Economic Development Director Max Gruner said. “This partnership with NMT will help attract new companies, support local jobs, and strengthen Albuquerque’s economy.”
“No other site in New Mexico has the right geography, infrastructure, and proximity to airfield operations to support an integrated multimodal system like the one we envision,” City of Albuquerque Aviation Acting Director Manny Manriquez added. “This is a true regional economic development to realize our unfolding vision for logistics and related land-side developments to transform the Sunport into an even larger economic engine for the region.”
“The public-private partnership that has been formed with NMT is a perfect symbiotic relationship for the continued business and economic growth of our city and state,” NMT Director of Business Development Brian Connell noted. “We’re glad for the chance to provide our established customers more opportunities to ship and receive interstate and international commodities.”
“With the opening of this first segment of track, we can immediately bring positive impact to local businesses,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller concluded.
