Virginia Passenger Rail Authority milestones
Source: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, VPRA's Relationships with Passenger Rail Operators (December 6, 2023)
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority milestones
Source: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, VPRA's Relationships with Passenger Rail Operators (December 6, 2023)
Amtrak service started in Virginia in 1971. In 2008, the US Congress required in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act that states fund Amtrak services on passenger rail service for shorter routes, those up to 750 miles in length. Starting in 2009, Virginia financed the operational costs of the Amtrak Virginia train between Washington DC and Lynchburg. By 2025, 17 other states were funding state-supported trains.
There were 100,000 passengers the first year, far exceeded the projected 30,000. The obvious demand led to General Assembly support to expand passenger rail service. By 2020, the Lynchburg train had been extended to Roanoke and other Amtrak trains were connecting Washington DC to Richmond, Petersburg, Newport News, and Norfolk. In those four corridors, the state was subsidizing eight roundtrip trains each day, and passengers could get on or off trains at 17 separate stations.1
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) was created in 2020 as part of Governor Ralph Northam's Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative. The authority manages the state's investments in rail infrastructure, but does not operate any trains itself. The independent state authority partners with three freight railroads (Buckingham Branch Railroad, CSX, and Norfolk Southern) plus Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) to expand capacity for their train operations. That includes modernizing train stations.
The state agency does not manage the The Tide in Norfolk; that light rail system is managed by Hampton Roads Transit. The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail system, with two routes in Northern Virginia connecting Washington DC to Fredeericksburg and Manassas, is the joint responsibility of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). They appoint the members of the VRE Operations Board.
The Governor of Virginia appoints the voting members of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority board:2
the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority focus is on passenger rather than freight rail services
Source: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Strengthening Connections.
Planning for Success. Financial Plan 2022 (p.5)
The need for a state oversight organization was triggered by the decision to launch the $4 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative in 2019 to increase passenger rail service in Virginia by 100%. The Virginians for High Speed Rail advocacy groups had championed the idea of such an organization since the 1990's, so long-term planning would not be interrupted every four years with the election of a new Governor. One of the first Board members commented:3
Virginia subsidized Amtrak trains starting in 2009, and finally created the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority in 2020
Source: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, History of Virginia’s State-Supported Rail Service
The Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative started with the state negotiating a Comprehensive Rail Agreement with CSX Transportation (CSXT) between 2019-2021:4
the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is responsible for building a new Long Bridge over the Potomac River
Source: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Long Bridge Project
The state then negotiated with Norfolk Southern to acquire 28 miles of old Virginian Railway track between Salem and Christiansburg (the "V-Line") to allow extension of passenger rail service into the New River Valley. The long range plan was to extend service further south to Bristol, but engineering studies then determined that costs to upgrade the Merrimac Tunnel would be excessively high.
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Norfolk Southern revised their deal. The New River Valley train station was located at the old Cambria railyard in Christiansburg on Norfolk Southern's mainline (the "N-Line"). Instead of purchasing the old Virginian Railway track, the state acquired Norfolk Southern's Manassas Line in Northern Virginia. Norfolk Southern had very few freight movements on that track, running between the Broad Run station of Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Alexandria.5
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is a separate state agency that develops the Virginia Statewide Rail Plan every four years. That state agency deals with potential expansion of freight capacity, such as the Central Virginia Rail Study completed in 2024 to evaluate rail-centric economic development opportunities in the Bedford, Campbell, and Lynchburg region.
There is inevitably overlap between freight and rail expansion, since in most cases trains will use the same tracks. That applies in particular to the Corridor Identification and Development Program funded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), intended to enhance the creation of new intercity passenger rail services. Close coordination between the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is required to minimize duplication of effort, inconsistency between proposals to expand rail infrastructure, financial planning, and negotiations with private railroads.6
the Department of Rail and Public Transportation examined the economic benefits of expanding passenger as well as freight rail capacity in the Lynchbureg/Bedford area in 2024
Source: Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), Central Virginia Rail Study (Figure 2)
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority planning to complete funding for rail expansion projects in FY2030. That included acquisition of track and right-of-way from CSX and Norfolk Southern, plus purchase of St. Julian's Yard in Norfolk. Amtrak trains are serviced and stored there, on property owned by the Accomack‐Northampton Transportation District Commission. Afterwards, all funding would be directed to operations and maintenance, including funding a service provider (currently Amtrak) to provide intercity passenger rail service.
However, the 2022 Financial Plan included funding for only two of the four phases of I-95 Corridor capital projects. The first two phases included building the new Long Bridge and 37 miles of track. The new infrastructure would enable five additional Amtrak round trips, five additional round trips on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Fredericksburg Line, and the start of weekend service on that line by Virginia Railway Express.
Primary "PayGo" funding would be provided through the Commonwealth Transportation Board and local government. Four other sources, including grants, loans and revenue bonds, would provide 45% of the funding.7
funding for capital projects was projected to be spent by FY2030
Source: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Strengthening Connections.
Planning for Success. Financial Plan 2022 (p.9. p.24)