VRE Fares, Subsidies Rising 3 Percent

VRE FARE INCREASE TO NET $900,000

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — It’s going to cost Virginia Railway Express riders more to ride starting July 1.

And with low turnout at a series of seven recent public hearings on the proposed fare increases, riders don’t seem to mind.

Starting July 1, a single one-way ride on the railroad’s Fredericksburg line, from Fredericksburg to Washington’s Union Station will cost $10.65, up from $10.30 and the cost of a monthly pass $294.10, up from $285.50.

On the Manassas line, a one-way trip from the Broad Run – Airport, Manassas, or Manassas Park stations to Union Station will cost $8.75, up from $4.20.

The three-percent fare increase is expected to generate $900,000 in additional fare revenue in 2013 which will go to offset increases in fuel costs, rising third party retail sales commissions, facilities maintenance, and scheduled rising costs contained in VRE’s operations contract with Keolis Rail Services of America.

At the same time, the local jurisdictions that fund VRE – including Prince William and Stafford counties – will also increase their funding subsidy to VRE by an additional three percent. In 2011, local jurisdictions accounted $16 million of the system’s $128 million in revenues. Local jurisdiction funding was down last year about seven percent from 2009.

Over the course of seven public hearings about the proposed fare increases, few if any people said they were opposed. Out of 65 comments, just 25 opposed the increase.

But Stafford Board of Supervisors Chairman Susan Stimpson, and Aquia District Supervisor Paul Milde who both serve on the VRE Board that governs the railroad, voted against the increase on Friday.

“Supervisor Milde and I voted no to this increase because the VRE budget also raises the rate that localities pay in to VRE by three percent. A committee composed of staff from each of the counties looked at VRE’s budget and recommended fares stay the same with the three percent increase to localities. VRE already has at least $2 million more in surplus because of increased ridership. And we have replaced all locomotives and only have 17 cars that aren’t new. Our on-time performance this month was 97 percent,” Stimpson posted to her Facebook page.

It’s no secret that with increased ridership over the past year that fare revenues are up. But what looks like a projected surplus on paper is actually monies that will most likely go back into rail system at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, said VRE spokesman Mark Roeber.

“We need additional rail cars to replace the old ones, as well as to modernize the ones we are using. So, if any additional money is left at the end of the year it will most likely be put into a capital reserve that will go to fund new rolling stock, new locomotives, as well as track improvements,” said Roeber.

Since 2004, VRE has acquired several pieces of new rolling stock including 20 new locomotives and 71 new passenger rail cars.