The commuter rail service charges as much as $12.15 one-way on the Fredericksburg line and $10 one-way on the Manassas line. Free-Friday fares will begin Friday, June 2, 2023, and last through September 1, 2023.
Free Fridays would cost the system about $300,000 in fare revenue, VRE estimate. The operations board meets at 9 a.m. Friday, May 18, 2023, at the OmniRide Transit Center, 14700 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge.
Virginia Railway Express is scrambling to get riders back on its trains after the pandemic. The average daily ridership has plummeted to about 6,200 â a third of what it was in February 2020.
To promote the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) as a travel option for both commuters and day-trippers, the rail service will offer fare-free rides on its trains each Friday from June 2 to September 1. Fare-free travel will be available to passengers on both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines for rides originating at any of VREâs 19 stations. Tickets will not be required.
VRE ridership is historically lower during the summer and on Fridays year-round, so the rail service can accommodate additional passengers, including larger groups looking to spend a day in the nationâs capital, or National Landing or Old Town Alexandria in Virginia.
VRE runs 32 trains each weekday, generally north in the morning and south in the afternoon and evening. It is the nationâs 13th largest commuter rail service, connecting Central and Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia. VRE is recognized for its provision of safe, reliable, convenient, and comfortable transportation. Additional information is available at vre.org.
Virginia Railway Express is scrambling to get riders back on its trains after the pandemic. The average daily ridership has plummeted to about 6,200 -- a third of what it was in February 2020.
While the transit system is in the middle of a paid advertising campaign to attract new and old riders, the system's operations board will be asked to allow people to ride free on Fridays for the summer months.
Free Fridays would cost the system about $300,000 in fare revenue, VRE estimate. The operations board meets at 9 a.m. Friday, May 18, 2023, at the OmniRide Transit Center, 14700 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge.
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Quantico Marine Corps Base  will conduct a full-scale exercise on the base on May 25 that will simulate a train derailment on the main side of the base. The exercise, the largest conducted at the base in about 12 years, will test the ability of the base and Prince William County emergency responders to react and work together in an emergency.
The tracks run along the main side of the base, along the Potomac River, carrying freight, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains. The train station sits at the entrance of Quantico Town -- home to about 600 people living in the only tOKown nestled inside a U.S. military installation.
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Work is underway at Potomac Shores to build a new four-level, 400-space parking garage.
During a groundbreaking event Monday, May 8, 2023, a spokesman for Potomac Shores developer Biddle Real Estate Ventures said the garage will open in Fall 2024, with the train station construction occurring at the time of opening or beginning shortly after that. The structure will be a precursor to a new Virginia Railway Express station to be built next to the garage.
VRE and Amtrak riders who will use the station, or customers of the shops and restaurants to be built nearby, will use the garage. Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe broke ground for the commuter rail station in 2014.
Biddle Real Estate Ventures is still applying for permits to build the new commuter rail station. The process should be complete next year. Meanwhile, the developer is donating about four acres on which the station will sit to Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, clearing the way for station construction.
Initial designs include elevators to take passengers from the station to the train platform next to the tracks, located at the bottom of a riverside cliff.
The station has been redesigned twice since its groundbreaking in 2014, costing the developer at least $5 million. Initial designs did not include a third track built in the later part of the decade or in the early 2030s to separate passenger and freight rail traffic.
It’s unclear how much the new station will cost to build. Monday’s announcement from Peter Chavkin of Biddle Real Estate Ventures was the first sign of life for the project in nearly 10 years.
“We’re not here today to say ‘it’s coming soon.’ It’s happening,” said Chavkin as earthmovers hauled dirt up the cliff of the Potomac River.
Several Prince William Board of County Supervisors heralded the construction. “This project is a symbol o progress and innovation, and a collaboration between government, private industry, and individuals,” said Ann Wheeler, Board of County Supervisors At-large Chair.
Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey, praised for bringing together the state and developer to sign an agreement to move forward with the project in April 2023, said the project shows the county’s commitment to mobility.
Margaret Franklin, the Woodbridge District Supervisor, said residents deserve more quality public transportation options like the VRE. All three politicians are up for reelection this year, with Wheeler and Bailey facing opponents in a June 20, 2023 Primary Election.
When the station opens, it will feature a boardwalk along the east side overlooking the Potomac River, with gazebos and benches. The station would also be served by new weekend trains that could begin as early as 2026, said VRE CEO Rich Dalton.
The station will be the first to open on the dual-line VRE system since 2015 when VRE opened a new station in Spotsylvania County.
Officials cut the ribbon on the region's latest diverging diamond interchange that will open Monday, May 1, at Prince William Parkway and Balls Ford Road in Gainesville.
Politicians, engineers, and the businessmen and women behind the Insterstate 66 E-ZPass Express Lanes held a dedication ceremony on Thursday, April 28, 2023, for the $105 million project includes two new bridges, four lanes of traffic, and a pedestrian path over the four-lane Prince William Parkway near Interstate 66.
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There's a new promise to build a Virginia Railway Express station at Potomac Shores near Dumfries.
Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey says there is a new agreement between the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Biddle Real Estate Ventures, the neighborhood developer, to build the station.
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Police found the body of a man who, apparently, jumped from the parking garage next to the city's train station in bustling Downtown Manassas.
Police have not identified the victim who was found on the station's concrete platform. They said several 911 callers witnessed the victim fall to his death.
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Today, the commuter railroad's operations board approved a plan to continue charging reduced fares at stations closest to Washington, D.C.
Last year, the operations board approved lower fares during rehabilitation work on Metro's Yellow line, which is set to wrap up next month. Extending the lower fares will allow the transit agency to see if they affected ridership during Metro construction.
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(The Center Square) â Maryland is advancing discussions on potential plans to expand MARC commuter rail service into Delaware and Virginia â a move officials hope will expand access for transit riders across state lines.
The Maryland Department of Transportation has signed framework agreements with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Delaware Transit Corp. for potential MARC Train Service expansions, Gov. Wes Moore announced Thursday. The possible future expansions could extend MARC service to Newark, Delaware, and to Alexandria, Virginia.
The agreements reached by the state transit agencies outlines ânext stepsâ for advancing discussions about a possible expansion and explore pilot service opportunities, according to Mooreâs office.
âMaryland is committed to working with our neighbors to increase convenient and accessible transit across the entire region because we know an expanded transit network leads to expanded opportunities for everyone,â Moore said in a statement. âThe partnerships outlined in these agreements will help us bring greater options to thousands of potential transit riders.â
MARC, which stands for Maryland Area Rail Commuter, provides service between Washington D.C. and Maryland along three lines â Penn, Camden and Brunswick. Lawmakers in the General Assembly last year overrode a veto by former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and passed legislation to expedite rail projects and expand train operations, as reported by The Washington Post.
To advance MARC service to Delaware, both Maryland and Delawareâs transit authorities plan to meet with stakeholders to determine operational and infrastructure needs. Officials hope to close an existing commuter rail gap in Cecil County and advance connections between MARC and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority system, according to the governorâs office.
As for expansions in Virginia, future service depends on the completion of the Long Bridge project, which includes construction of a two-track railroad bridge spanning the Potomac River from D.C. to Virginia.
âThis partnership on a framework agreement is an important first step forward for VPRA to further advance the Commonwealth’s goal of reducing congestion on our roads and highways by providing more reliable, consistent, and accessible passenger rail transportation options,â Virginia Passenger Rail Authority Executive Director DJ Stadtler said in a statement. âWe look forward to continued coordination with the Maryland Transit Administration as we work to better connect people and communities across the region.â
Updated Feb. 15, 2024 -- For Town of Quantico residents, there's one way in and one way out.
Since 2020, access to the only town in the U.S. located within a military base has been restricted to only those who live and work in the town. Revenues from parking tickets and other fines are up, and so are tax revenues, as the Marines and civilians who work on base adequately support the businesses in town, Mayor Kevin Brown told PLN.
