Members of the 2023 Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board Executive Committee were installed Friday in a brief ceremony during which outgoing Chair Margaret Franklin of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors passed the gavel to James Walkinshaw of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Walkinshaw was the VRE board's vice chair in 2022.
"I'm excited and honored to serve as chair this year," said Walkinshaw. "VRE is fortunate to have an Operations Board dedicated to the system's success, talented staff committed to our mission, and loyal riders who recognize the value of the safe, convenient, and reliable service we offer. 2023 will be a pivotal year as riders continue returning to the system and we undertake the critical task of updating our long-term vision through our System Plan 2050 process."
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Since the pandemic, more riders from Fairfax and Prince William counties have abandoned the Virignia Railway Express than any other jurisdiction it serves.
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Virginia Railway Express unveiled plans for a new street bridge connecting drivers and pedestrians to its Broad Run station at Manassas Airport today.
The bridge would create a direct shot to the station for drivers on Route 28 in Manassas, who would turn onto Residency Road and travel over the railroad tracks to the station.
The new bridge will eliminate the need for drivers to use Piper Lane to access the station. The Broad Run frequently spills its banks and floods Piper Lane after heavy rains.
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Ridership projections for Virginia Railway Express were revised to lower for the year, but localities will pay more to fund the state's only commuter railway next year.
The railroad's operations board agreed to a compromise that would increase the subsidies paid to the local governments that benefit from the service from $13.5 million to $16 million. It's $2 million less than proposed under the system's Fiscal 2024 budget, which begins July 1, 2023.
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Virginia Railway Express is higher costs and fewer riders when it goes to approve its $191 million budget during its Operations Board meeting tomorrow, December 16, 2022.
Riders have been slow to return to the state's only commuter railway following the pandemic. The system averages 5,800 passengers per day, a far cry from the 20,000 per day it carried in January 2020.
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A Fredericksburg police spokeswoman said at 5:37 a.m., December 7, police received a call for a pedestrian struck on the train tracks in Prince Edward and Frederick streets, near the city's train station. Patrol officers and detectives went to the scene and found a body.
At 8:12 am, the medical examiner arrived on the scene and began conducting their investigation. The Fredericksburg Police Department is working in conjunction with the CSX Police Department.
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A holiday tradition cherished by thousands of Northern Virginia families, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Santa Trains will return on Saturday, December 10, after a two-year hiatus.
A total of 13 trains will depart from five VRE stations: Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, Woodbridge, Manassas, and Burke Centre. The 75-minute excursions begin as early as 8:30 a.m. and as late as 3:30 p.m. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves will be onboard listening to children's Christmas wishes and handing out goodie bags.
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Today, the commuter railroad operations board met at the OmniRide transit center in Woodbridge for its monthly meeting and discussed the results of its November 2022 ridership survey. The questionnaire asks riders where they live and where they usually board the trains.
According to the data reported today, ridership in Fairfax County (1.2 million population) is down 3%, down 2% in Prince William County (465,000 people), and down by about 1.5% in Stafford County (157,000 population).
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Virginia Railway Express will continue to offer free fares for riders who board at stations from Springfield and Backlick Road, Arlington, and Washington, D.C., in zones one, two, and three, respectively.
The commuter railway operations board voted today to continue the free fares, an extension of the free fare program it provided riders last month on its Fredericksburg and Manassas lines.
The railroad will again charge the full fare for those who board at stations south of Springfield. In July, VRE decided it would let all riders take its trains free while Metro closes its Blue and Yellow lines south of Reagan National Airport for rehabilitation work.
