University students and other community members seeking an easier way to visit Washington D.C. and New York City could be in luck if plans for an Amtrak expansion are approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
The proposed three-year pilot program, currently forecasted to cost $17 million, would establish a new series of train routes along the Route 29 and Interstate 95 corridors across Virginia. Charlottesville would be part of the newly reconfigured line, said Meredith Richards, a proponent of the new routes.
Richards, who also serves as chairman for the Piedmont Rail Coalition and president for Virginians for High Speed Rail, said the routes would run through the Piedmont region from Lynchburg to Washington D.C. on a daily basis, providing new passenger rail services. The line would also include the introduction of a daily route along I-95 from Richmond to Washington D.C.
This initiative is “part of a new model that Amtrak is using,” which allows the trans-national railway provider to partner with state governments to offer intra-state rail services, Richards said, adding that the proposed route in the Piedmont corridor would have many benefits for the Charlottesville area.
With the new rail service, it would be possible to catch a train in Charlottesville early in the morning and arrive in Washington D.C. or New York City much faster than currently possible, she said. The pilot program would reprogram existing lines and would use equipment that is already in service between Washington, D.C. and New York City to make travel along that route more efficient, Richards added.
“It will be a new paradigm for the state of Virginia,” Richards said. “There are [14] other states that are providing inter-city rail services.”
In addition to improving transportation for business commuters, the introduction of the new passenger train routes also could be beneficial for University community members who live both in and outside the Charlottesville area, Richards said.
“It will be such a boon for the University,” Richards said.
In a proposal released earlier this year, Amtrak made suggestions for improving railway transportation across the state, several of which were focused on the Piedmont Corridor, the route that runs along Route 29, Richards said. According to the proposal, “Amtrak has recommended to [the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation] that steps be taken to implement new Lynchburg to Washington rail service ‘as soon as possible’ including any capital improvements needed to the existing rail line by the host railroad.”
These suggestions, among many others, were taken into consideration by VDRPT, said Jennifer Pickett, chief of policy and communications for VDRPT. She noted that the department — which is an agency overseen by the advisory Commonwealth Transportation Board — has developed two main projects to respond to the railway needs of the region and is now awaiting official funding approval from the board as a whole.
“We have been working to develop a funding plan,” Pickett said, noting that the $17 million estimated budget of the pilot plan would be designated as operational subsidies applied during the next three years to demonstrate the benefits of a new passenger rail service. This total only represents an estimated cost, though, because a source of funding for the project has not yet been identified, Pickett said.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board will meet Dec. 17 to finish drafting a six-year plan for the proposal, and proponents of the plan will seek approval during a January meeting of the board, Pickett said.
“The state revenue continues to be revised,” Pickett said. “We’re paying close attention to funding ... What we have to do at this point is to draw up a revision to the six-year plan in order to bring in funding for these projects.”
Community meetings regarding the proposal will also be held Jan. 5 to 13, Pickett said.
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