Virginia Railway Express: âThe 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.â
âThe 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 â one with a 5-ton and the other with a 30-ton capacity; and two tracks, each holding up to four locomotives or railcars.â
On a separate note, weâre hearing rumblings about significant changes coming to Virginiaâs 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.
Stafford County Supervisor Meg Bohmke also serves on the Virginia Railway Express Operations Board.
Today, Bohmke said much of the discussion held during a June 16 planning meeting for the state's only commuter railroad, held at the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (OmniRide) in Woodbridge, focused on keeping the system afloat.
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âThe 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 programâs reinstatement but subsidize the cost of Step-Up tickets on VREâs 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.â
Virginia Railway Express: "To promote the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) as a travel option for both commuters and day-trippers, the rail service will offer fare-free rides on its trains each Friday from June 2 to September 1."
"Fare-free travel will be available to passengers on both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines for rides originating at any of VREâs 19 stations. Tickets will not be required. VRE ridership is historically lower during the summer and on Fridays year-round, so the rail service can accommodate additional passengers, including larger groups looking to spend a day in the nationâs capital, or National Landing or Old Town Alexandria in Virginia."
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âHistoric Manassas Inc. Facebook page: âMiss 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].â
âFrom 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.â
âKate Clatterbuck was crowned Miss Virginia Volunteer 2023 in August 2022 through the Miss Volunteer America organization, which focuses on community involvement and volunteerism. Throughout her reign, she has volunteered over 80 hours across various regions of Virginia, partnering with organizations such as the Bedford County Sheriffâs Office, Youth of Virginia Speak Out program, and Virginia Passenger Rail Authority.â
âThe Manassas Railway Festival is an annual event celebrating the rich railway history of Manassas. It offers a variety of activities, including train rides, live entertainment, and historical exhibits. Admission to the Railway Festival is free, but the hour-long excursion rides to Clifton are ticketed. Tickets can also be purchased online for $7.50 per person, and can be purchase at the Visitor Center in Manassas or at https://insidenovatix.com/events/manassas-railway-festival-6-3-2023.â
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.
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 â a third of what it was in February 2020.
To promote the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) as a travel option for both commuters and day-trippers, the rail service will offer fare-free rides on its trains each Friday from June 2 to September 1. Fare-free travel will be available to passengers on both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines for rides originating at any of VREâs 19 stations. Tickets will not be required.
VRE ridership is historically lower during the summer and on Fridays year-round, so the rail service can accommodate additional passengers, including larger groups looking to spend a day in the nationâs capital, or National Landing or Old Town Alexandria in Virginia.
VRE runs 32 trains each weekday, generally north in the morning and south in the afternoon and evening. It is the nationâs 13th largest commuter rail service, connecting Central and Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia. VRE is recognized for its provision of safe, reliable, convenient, and comfortable transportation. Additional information is available at vre.org.
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.
While the transit system is in the middle of a paid advertising campaign to attract new and old riders, the system's operations board will be asked to allow people to ride free on Fridays for the summer months.
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.
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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.
The tracks run along the main side of the base, along the Potomac River, carrying freight, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains. The train station sits at the entrance of Quantico Town -- home to about 600 people living in the only tOKown nestled inside a U.S. military installation.
