Fredericksburg’s transportation officials will work in conjunction with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to improve passenger train experience in Fredericksburg City and Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.
The Passenger Rail Authority was established earlier this year has been tasked with promoting, sustaining, and expanding passenger and commuter rail service availability in Virginia. It will also own all the new tracks meant for passenger rail in Virginia, including the third rail that will run from Union Station in Washington D.C. to Spotsylvania County.
One year ago, Gov. Ralph Northam announced a $3.7 million deal that would double the number of Amtrak trains that would run between Washington and Richmond and increase Virginia Railway Express commuter rail service by 75 percent.
Last week, The Fredericksburg Area Planning Organization, also known as FAMPO, the planning committee responsible for developing master plans or transportation in the Fredericksburg region, held a virtual Q & A on its Facebook where it discussed aspects of the rail improvement plan.
Officials say the 110-year-old train station in Downtown Fredericksburg will be moved closer to the Rappahannock to accommodate the third rail between Washington and Fredericksburg, which will accommodate the additional Amtrak commuter rail trains. Potomac Local News reported on this project back in July 2019. No specific date is set for the relocation to begin.
The plan known as the Capital Region Rail Vision, which was presented by the Greater Washington Partnership, is a 25-year long plan that seeks to improve rail transportation in the capital region, which includes Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Richmond, to ultimately improve local economies through better transportation options.
The Authority will also be in charge of capital expansion projects, infrastructure, and land acquisitions related to Northam’s rail initiative. This plan also includes faster rail service and new passenger service to be built throughout the region and funding the Virginia Railway Express.
The Authority and the Greater Washington Partnership are also working together to improve the Long Bridge over the Potomac River, which is considered the most significant rail bottleneck on the east coast of the U.S.
