WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Virginia Railway Express’ new express train was delayed during it inaugural run Monday.
The train left the Fredericksburg station on time at 5:15 a.m., but then hit delays in Stafford County and into Woodbridge, said VRE Board Chair Paul Milde.
The Army is interested in purchasing surplus rail equipment from Virginia Railway Express.
According to a Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation spokesman, the Army plans to transport soldiers from Ft. AP Hill in Bowling Green to Ft. Lee in Petersburg twice a week for 37 weeks each year, and they want to do it by rail.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – North Stafford’s main road is getting wider.
Since April, crews have been working to widen Va. 610 at Joshua Road at a projected cost of $9.1 million.
A head-on crash has forced the closure of U.S. 1 in Triangle.
Just before 4:30 p.m., a Ford F-150 collided with a sports car just south of the Marine Corps Museum. Fire and rescue units were called, but it appears no one was seriously hurt.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – A five-lane portion of the Capital Beltway will be reduced to four lanes tomorrow.
The Virginia Department of Transportation calls it a lane shift, and it will take place three-quarters of a mile before Va. 620 (Braddock Road). The new lane configuration will be in place until late December and comes as part of the Beltway High Occupancy Vehicle lanes project.
Virginia officials have partnered leaders in North Carolina to bring high-speed rail to both states.
The Virginia – North Carolina High Speed Rail compact, authorized by congress, will look at constructing a high-speed rail corridor between Washington and Charlotte, N.C. that could cost as much as $4.15 billion, according to a Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation spokesman.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. – It seemed like a long time coming but a French company is now in charge of operating of Virginia’s commuter railroad.
Keolis Rail Services of America began operating Virginia Railway Express trains on the system’s Fredericksburg and Manassas lines today as part of a five year, $85 million contract. After months of wrangling between VRE, Federal Rail Administration officials and Amtrak managers – who did not want their employees persuaded to work for the French firm – Keolis hired more than 80 new conductors, assistant conductors and engineers in May to facilitate train operations.
A new study is underway examining the possibility of raising the speed limit from 65 to 70 mph between U.S. 17 in Falmouth to Joplin Road, just north of the Stafford County line in Triangle.
The study is underway but there is no preliminary information about when it could be complete or how much it is going to cost, said Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Tina Bundy.
UDPATE: The house trailer that fell onto the Capital Beltway on Thursday afternoon and snarled traffic has been removed.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – The sun sets later during the summer and now drivers can use Interstate 95’s High Occupancy Vehicle lanes a bit later too.
Until Sept. 23, the lanes will remain open to southbound travelers until midnight Monday through Thursday, allowing drivers to skirt traffic delays that may be caused by highway construction and increased traffic on the highway, said Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer McCord.
