Veta Pass, elevation , lies about 7.7 miles southeast of Old La Veta Pass. When the Denver and Rio Grande Railway decided to convert its line over the Sangre de Cristo from narrow gauge to standard gauge, it elected to follow a new route over Veta Pass, completing the project in 1899. In 2003 the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad took over operation of the line. The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad operates steam excursion trains between Alamosa and La Veta over the pass.