The board, meeting at the OmniRide Transit Center in Woodbridge, also approved five contracts ranging from a one-year parking-lot lease extension to a sole-source replacement of Positive Train Control radios, heard an information report on capital-cost increases that will shape the next budget cycle, and got details on upcoming community events including Santa Trains.
Choe said ridership is now just under June levels and significantly higher than September 2025. On-time performance is the best it has been in five months for a second consecutive month, though it remains below the agency’s 90 percent goal.
In September, 26 percent of delays lasted more than 20 minutes. Congestion remains the leading cause and increased from August to September. Mechanical and weather delays fell, while infrastructure delays tied to switches rose fivefold. The main problem is the A interlocking at Union Station leading into the First Street Tunnel; Amtrak is replacing that equipment as part of its ‘Pause for Progress.’
During the Amtrak outage, VRE will run its reduced S+ schedule—about half the normal number of trains—and terminate at L’Enfant Station rather than Union Station. L’Enfant serves 80 to 90 percent of VRE riders. Staff has notified passengers through Train Talk, tabling, signs, and announcements.
Capital costs and the project pipeline
Meanwhile, Chief Financial Officer Mark Schofield outlined cost increases that must be reflected in updated estimates for projects approaching construction: the Crystal City cross is up about $10 million, Franconia about $6 million, rail cars about $5.5 million (affected by steel and tariffs), and Crossroads parking and staff building about $5 million. Broad Run expansion has seen a smaller increase.
Schofield showed a chart of construction-materials costs that rose roughly 40 percent in the 18 months after the brief 2020 recession, then another 11 percent in the past year amid war, tariffs, and competition for labor and materials from data-center construction. He said the agency can advance projects through engineering and design without full funding, but will not start construction until all money is identified.
Nearly 10 major construction projects could be underway by early to mid-calendar 2028. Staff prioritizes spending in a waterfall: existing debt service (including rail-car debt and assistance on Virginia Passenger Rail Authority right-of-way purchases), agreements with VPRA on the Manassas Line and Long Bridge, safety and security, keeping current assets in working order, closing gaps on projects nearing construction, and only then other work.
New state discretionary money has arrived for the L’Enfant project, design of the BR&E main track, and Broad Run expansion; those amounts will appear in the amended fiscal 2027 capital budget. Longer-term, replacement of locomotives and existing rail cars will cost hundreds of millions and requires early planning for both funding and technology choices.
Board members asked about volatility in oil, diesel, steel, and tariffs, and about the handoff from capital construction to future operating and maintenance costs. Choe noted that the independent cost estimators and the program-management consultant (which employs construction economists) help with projections, and that asset-management work is being added to the program-management contract so the agency can forecast maintenance needs for new assets.
Contracts approved
The board approved, by voice vote, a one-year lease extension for the North parking lot at Broad Run Station in Manassas while property-acquisition talks for the Broad Run expansion continue. Staff said the latest update suggests those negotiations could take another six months.
It authorized the issuance of a request for proposals for program-management consulting services to support the design-and-construction team and develop an asset-management program. The existing contract is expiring. The vote carries no financial obligation; it only starts the solicitation.
The board authorized a contract for independent cost estimating and cost validation on the L’Enfant station and short-track project, which is being delivered under a construction-manager/general-contractor method with Skanska. The independent firm will validate the contractor’s cost proposals. Staff said appropriate firewalls are in place so the estimator is not competing for other VRE work.
It approved delivery of lubricating oil for locomotives. One member asked whether the agency should stockpile oil given global prices and the ongoing war; staff said they track diesel closely and will look at lubricating-oil pricing.
Finally, the board approved a sole-source contract to replace Positive Train Control radios. The radios are at end of life and must interoperate with the PTC systems of host railroads, including Amtrak, CSX, and Norfolk Southern (prior to VPRA acquisition). Without functioning PTC, trains do not run. A member suggested a teaching session on how PTC works at a future meeting.
Community events and Santa Trains
Choe reported that Tour de VRE, a bike ride along the system’s Manassas line, drew 250 registrations for its 35-mile and 8-mile rides the week before the meeting. Chair Andrea Bailey kicked off the longer ride; Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley gave opening remarks and rode the shorter one. The event raised thousands of dollars for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, and a survivor joined the finish-line celebration. Staff, volunteers, sponsors, and Keolis crews supported the ride.
Other recent activity included a rainy but well-attended Clifton Day; participation in the Governor’s Transportation Conference (where transit and transit-oriented development received strong attention); a panel and national construction-management award for the Manassas Park parking garage at the CMAA National Conference in Denver; and remarks at the Washington Manassas Airport Commission.
Santa Trains will run Dec. 12. Tickets go on sale Nov. 30—the Monday after Thanksgiving—and will be available online only this year. Details are on VRE’s Santa Trains page. The trains collect toys for Toys for Tots. Choe said it will be her first Santa Trains as CEO.
The Finance Committee met immediately after the board session to continue budget discussions. A closed session on cybersecurity followed the open meeting.
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