Dive Brief:
- Construction began last week on a series of passenger rail-related projects to improve and expand train service in Northern Virginia.
- Plans call for a new fourth track extending for six miles between Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, to increase capacity for Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains; improvements at the Alexandria VRE station; and the replacement of two older railroad bridges adjacent to that station.
- “Strong rail infrastructure in Virginia is critical to our economy and people’s ability to get where they need to go,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
A partnership among the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Amtrak, VRE, freight railroad CSX and the city of Alexandria is undertaking the projects. They relate to the VPRA’s $2.6 billion Long Bridge project, which will add a second two-track rail bridge over the Potomac River, along with new pedestrian and bicycle bridges, to eliminate a bottleneck for passenger and freight trains running between Virginia and Washington, D.C.
The suite of projects that broke ground Nov. 12 and the Long Bridge project are both targeted for completion in 2030. “We [and our partners] have been able to develop a plan that combines a number of projects to benefit not just rail passengers but the local community as well,” DJ Stadtler, executive director of VPRA, said in a statement.
The projects are part of VPRA’s “Transforming Rail in Virginia” initiative. When completed, the initiative will allow an increase in the number of state-supported Amtrak daily roundtrips from the current eight to 13 and expand VRE service on two lines, including new weekend service.
Alexandria station improvements will include replacing a street-level crossing with a tunnel connecting the two platforms and upgrading the platforms to improve passenger safety. The city of Alexandria will lead the creation of a new streetscape in the station area under the new bridges.
Virginia has invested in passenger rail through support for Amtrak trains, the acquisition of nearly 500 miles of railroad right-of-way and the creation of VRE in 1992. The commuter rail system carries an average of 20,000 passengers daily. Virginia’s state-supported Amtrak trains set a new record in fiscal year 2025, carrying over 1.4 million riders.
According to VPRA, “passenger rail provides the most cost-effective solution” to traffic congestion in the state and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. According to the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the region's population has grown by 74% since 1990 and is forecast to exceed 3 million by 2040.
