Virginia Railway Express Archives - Page 7 of 10

VRE expands Spotsylvania shop

Published July 2, 2023 at 6:26PM

Virginia Railway Express: “The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has officially opened its new Lifecycle Overhaul and Upgrade (LOU) Facility, which allows the commuter rail service to perform expanded maintenance onsite in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.”

“The LOU features a drop table to remove locomotive and railcar trucks and wheelsets; wheel truing machine to reprofile rolling stock wheelsets; overhead bridge crane with two lift points – one with a 5-ton and the other with a 30-ton capacity; and two tracks, each holding up to four locomotives or railcars.”

News

VRE on an ‘S’ Schedule tomorrow, July 3, 2023; Changes ahead?

By Uriah Kiser

Published July 2, 2023 at 1:39PM

A Virginia Railway Express train pulls into the Fredericksburg train station. [Photo: Uriah Kiser/PLN]

On a separate note, we’re hearing rumblings about significant changes coming to Virginia’s only commuter rail system, including weekend service, which we reported last week.

The system continues to see about a third of its pre-pandemic ridership.

Originals

Bohmke on upcoming VRE changes: ‘We have no riders’

By Uriah Kiser

Published June 27, 2023 at 2:25PM | Updated June 27, 2023 at 11:26PM

Stafford County Supervisor Meg Bohmke also serves on the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board.

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Prince William

VRE bringing back Amtrak Step-Up program

By Uriah Kiser

Published June 3, 2023 at 12:00PM | Updated June 4, 2023 at 8:34AM

“The Amtrak Step-Up program allows VRE multi-ride ticketholders to ride select Amtrak trains for an additional charge. The nearly $1.5 million in 1-395/95 Commuter Choice funding will not only provide for the program’s reinstatement but subsidize the cost of Step-Up tickets on VRE’s Fredericksburg Line, which runs parallel to I-95 and I-395. VRE is working with Amtrak to finalize trains to include in the program and a mechanism to allow VRE passengers to ride, as Amtrak began requiring reservations on all trains when the pandemic hit.”

Prince William

Free Fridays on VRE begin tomorrow

By Uriah Kiser

Published June 1, 2023 at 3:25PM | Updated June 2, 2023 at 11:18AM

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Features

Miss Virginia Volunteer 2023 Kate Clatterbuck to appear at visitor’s center, promote railway festival

By Potomac Local News

Published May 26, 2023 at 2:02PM

Clatterbuck

“Historic Manassas Inc. Facebook page: “Miss Virginia Volunteer 2023, Kate Clatterbuck, will be making a special appearance in Manassas on Sunday, May 28, 2023. During her visit, she will dedicate her time to volunteering at the Manassas Visitors Center and actively promote ticket sales for the highly anticipated Manassas Railway Festival [Saturday, June 3, 2023].”

“From 9:00 am to 11:30 am, Kate Clatterbuck, the reigning Miss Virginia Volunteer, will engage with the community, emphasizing the significance of the Manassas Railway Festival and its impact on the region.”

Traffic

VRE goes fare-free on Fridays during Summer 2023

By Potomac Local News

Published May 25, 2023 at 10:00AM

A Virginia Railway Express train pulls into the Fredericksburg train station. [Photo: Uriah Kiser/PLN]

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.

Traffic

VRE to consider free-ride Fridays to win back customers

By Potomac Local News

Published May 18, 2023 at 12:32PM | Updated May 18, 2023 at 1:47PM

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.

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Quantico

Q Town mayor: ‘No one told us’ about upcoming train derailment drill

By Uriah Kiser

Published May 12, 2023 at 11:00AM | Updated May 13, 2023 at 10:30AM

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.

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Prince William

Crews building Potomac Shores parking garage to house VRE riders

By Uriah Kiser

Published May 9, 2023 at 10:00AM

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.