Broad Run station expansion could mean new entrance across the tracks

MANASSAS — Virginia Railway Express officials recommend expanding the Broad Run station from its current footprint northward across the tracks.

The commuter railroad recommends building the “north/south option” that would mean adding a new parking lot for riders across the tracks on the north side of the station. It would also mean adding a new station entrance on Residency Road, to provide more station access from Route 28.

The station would also be enlarged on the south side of the tracks along the existing footprint of the station to accommodate more railroad operations. 

New land would need to be acquired for the parking lot expansion, and exactly how riders would then cross the tracks to reach the station platform from a new parking lot on the north side — whether It be a bridge or tunnel — has not yet been worked out. The exact design and costs of the expansion are still being worked out, too, VRE spokeswoman Lucy Gladdis said.

VRE is also considering a second “south” option that is not recommended by VRE staff, is to expand the station at the Manassas Regional Airport along its existing footprint on the south side of the tracks. This expansion would take place solely on the south side of the tracks on land already owned by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission and/or Prince William County.

But officials would also have to contend with the flood waters form Broad Run that flows near the station, which frequently floods out Piper Lane, the current entrance to the Broad Run VRE station.

Estimated costs for either project have not yet been formatted. One of the reasons why the expansion to the north of the tracks is preferred by VRE staff because it makes it easier for drivers to enter and exit the station, according to Gladdis.

The recommendation will be put forth to the commuter railroad Operations Board for approval at its meeting at 9 a.m. Friday in Woodbridge.

The expansion plans come as the commuter railroad recently came into some new cash form the Interstate 66 Outside the Beltway Express Lanes Project. A total of $128.5 million was given to VRE by Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board to not only expand the Broad Run station but to also build a new third track to increase capacity on the line.

The third track and the new expanded Broad Run station would need to open at the same time the new toll lanes open on I-66, by December 2022.

The VRE Operations Board will meet at the OmniRide Transit Center, located at 14700 Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge.