VRE puts plans for additional trains on hold

May 28, 2008 - 5:24am

Hank Silverberg, WTOP Radio

RICHMOND, Va. -- With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, Virginia Railway Express ridership continues to grow.

Ridership on VRE was up 12 percent in April, the tenth consecutive month of growing ridership. The trend looks to grow again this month. Ridership peaked at more than 16,000 last week.

While VRE has had plans in place to meet growing demands, the transportation debate in in Virginia has brought those plans to a halt.

Spokesman Mark Roeber says VRE had plans to add two trains, but those plans have been put on hold.

"We have enough physical rail cars to meet the demand and to run the extra service. What we don't have is the operating capital necessary to run that," Roeber says.

The capital needed to run the new trains - $25 million - was in the transportation plan passed by the Virginia General Assembly that was thrown out in court. A transportation plan is one of the items the General Assembly will consider again during a special session next month.

It costs about $8 for a round trip ticket from Manassas or Fredericksburg into D.C.

Hank Silverberg, WTOP Radio

RICHMOND, Va. -- With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, Virginia Railway Express ridership continues to grow.

Ridership on VRE was up 12 percent in April, the tenth consecutive month of growing ridership. The trend looks to grow again this month. Ridership peaked at more than 16,000 last week.

While VRE has had plans in place to meet growing demands, the transportation debate in in Virginia has brought those plans to a halt.

Spokesman Mark Roeber says VRE had plans to add two trains, but those plans have been put on hold.

"We have enough physical rail cars to meet the demand and to run the extra service. What we don't have is the operating capital necessary to run that," Roeber says.

It costs about $8 for a round trip ticket from Manassas or Fredericksburg into D.C.

< Back