The summer schedule of the Eagle Cap Excursion Trains is being reduced by nearly two-thirds in an attempt to reduce financial losses experienced by Wallowa Union Railroad.

The railroad board adopted an 11-run schedule Monday, Feb. 22, compared to the 30 trips on its 2009 timetable.

Board members said they hope each run will come close to breaking even with more passengers per trip.

Fares will remain unchanged, except that food no longer will be included. Instead, the board will advertise for a caterer to sell food items on board.

A ticket will cost $65 for adults, $55 seniors and $25 children.

The new schedule starts with a Mother’s Day brunch trip May 9 and continues with runs July 3, 17 and 31, August 14 and 28, Sept. 11, 18 and 25 and Oct. 2 and 16.

Since its inauguration in 2003, the train has run at a loss, with the publicly owned railroad making up the difference.

Railroad manager Mark Davidson recently calculated that a run costs about $4,100 including such indirect expenses as track inspections and rolling-stock maintenance.

“The way we’ve been running it doesn’t work,” Davidson told the board Monday. “We can’t continue this way.”

Earlier proposals by a group from Sumpter to take over the excursion operation as a for-profit venture were rejected as unworkable financially.