Despite the improvements made to the train, however, patronage was not sufficient to retain the service, particularly in light of the region's improving roads and increased automobile traffic. The Rio Grande discontinued the Shavano on November 24, 1940, ending rail passenger service to Gunnison and leaving the San Juan Express as the railroad's last daily narrow-gauge passenger train. The train's old route over Marshall Pass was completely abandoned by the railroad in 1955; most of the route is now an automobile road.