Plans for new Amtrak service in Virginia

[WMAveteran]

TRAINS magazine reported that Amtrak and the Commonwealth of Virginia are developing plans for 2 new trains funded by a $25 million grant:

"The Lynchburg-Washington train, planned to begin Oct. 1, would leave Lynchburg's Kemper Street station at about 7:45 a.m., arriving in Washington Union Station at about 11:30 a.m. The return trip would begin at about 5 p.m. and be back in Lynchburg at about 8:30 p.m. It would travel on the same Norfolk Southern route now used by Amtrak's Crescent."

"The Richmond train, with a rollout scheduled for Dec. 15, would leave Richmond's Staples Mill Road station at about 7 a.m., arriving in Washington at about 9:30 a.m. The return trip would begin at about 4 p.m. and return to Richmond at about 6:30 p.m. This train would run on the same CSX Transportation line currently used by other Amtrak corridor trains to Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, plus its long-distance trains to Florida."

[Antozilla]

Why?

[Perry]

I wish VRE would just be extended to Richmond.  There are so many commuters coming from there into DC.  Sounds like a later alternative for those to travel up to Union Station, but the return trip is too early to work an 8 hour day.

[MetroLinerXLZ]

I wish VRE would just be extended to Richmond.  There are so many commuters coming from there into DC.  Sounds like a later alternative for those to travel up to Union Station, but the return trip is too early to work an 8 hour day.

I wish that would just happen too. Either that or (at minimum) have GRTC extend bus service right into Downtown D.C. If it means a fare increase happens, it happens. I would'nt mind paying $8-10 to take a nice MARTZ bus into D.C.

*Note that GRTC has the Route 96 (Fredricksburg/Richmond Express) operations contracted to MARTZ. They run MCI J4500 buses with CAT C-13 engines and ZF Asotronic transmissions.

[Perry]

I think a lot of people would go for that too. 

[WMAveteran]

This is another "Back to the Future" moment!  The RF&P RR (Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad) used to run several trains a day between Washington DC and Richmond.  Now 40+ years later we are trying to recreate a balanced transportation system!

[Perry]

You're right.  Same with the bus network in DC.  Prior to Metrorail, many bus lines went into DC from MD and VA, then most were shortened to feed into the rail only to find out that due to capacity issues and other operational things sending buses straight in and bypassing the rail is being done with more planned.