Expanding ridership on Virginia’s only commuter railroad has caused crowding, and forced rail officials to look for ways to extend the length of trains.
Virginia Railway Express’ CEO Dale Zehner in an email to riders Thursday stated ridership on the two-line commuter rail system has reached nearly 20,000 passengers on its busiest days – 10 of which were in October.
Reaching critical mass has prompted Zehner to explore the option of sending one train back each weekday morning to the Broad Run station on the Manassas line, after its stopping at Union Station in Washington. (VRE trains usually park at Union Station in Washington for the day until they are needed again for the afternoon commute).
This would allow VRE to add two additional cars to one of its busiest trains on the Manassas line, said Zehner. One additional car would also be added to a Fredericksburg line train.
While the additional cars would make more room for riders, CSX – the company which owns the railroad VRE uses – has issues with the commuter rail system’s reliability record.
Last year, VRE saw one of its worst years for its on-time performance record, dropping below 60 percent on the Fredricksburg line and below 70 on the Manassas line, according to VRE statistics.
Another option, says Zehner, is to have a morning train terminate at the L’Enfant Plaza station prior to Union Station, and install a switch on a track at Union Station to allow for easier train storage.
Zehner also said he is working with leaders from local jurisdictions get additional rail cars and locomotives.
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