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Regional rail vision aims to stitch Virginia, Maryland and D.C. closer together
Hat tip, Greater Greater Washington
Regional rail vision aims to stitch Virginia, Maryland and D.C. closer together
By Wyatt Gordon -January 25, 2021
Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent budget allocation of $50 million to extend intercity passenger rail service from Roanoke to the New River Valley is just the latest in a long line of sizable investments his administration has made into the future of rail in the commonwealth, including a $3.7 billion dollar track acquisition deal with CSX and the launch of the Long Bridge project. ... However, the Greater Washington Partnership — a business community think tank — says a new regional rail vision that includes Maryland, Washington and the federal government is crucial to maximizing Virginia’s investments.
“This is the opportunity to create a shared expectation and actually help bureaucrats to execute upon it,” said Joe McAndrew, GWP’s vice president of transportation. “If you left it down to the individual components of platform height, rolling stock, or payment systems, we would never get to a larger vision.”
Should that vision one day become a reality, commuters from as far south as Fredericksburg and even Richmond could board a Virginia Regional Express or Amtrak train and ride through D.C. all the way to Baltimore. To make that same trip today would require a Virginia resident to get off in Washington, pay for a second ticket and then board a MARC train on to Charm City.
“Once people realize this is one-fare, one-seat and you don’t have to dash across Union Station to catch the next train, these upgrades will translate to a big increase in ridership,” said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria. “We have to make the consumer experience easy and convenient.”
{snip}
By Wyatt Gordon -January 25, 2021
Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent budget allocation of $50 million to extend intercity passenger rail service from Roanoke to the New River Valley is just the latest in a long line of sizable investments his administration has made into the future of rail in the commonwealth, including a $3.7 billion dollar track acquisition deal with CSX and the launch of the Long Bridge project. ... However, the Greater Washington Partnership — a business community think tank — says a new regional rail vision that includes Maryland, Washington and the federal government is crucial to maximizing Virginia’s investments.
Today we published the Capital Region Rail Vision, which charts a course
to transform the regional rail network into a globally competitive asset that enables a more inclusive and equitable #CapitalRegion. Check out the report and fact sheet to learn more!
Link to tweet
“This is the opportunity to create a shared expectation and actually help bureaucrats to execute upon it,” said Joe McAndrew, GWP’s vice president of transportation. “If you left it down to the individual components of platform height, rolling stock, or payment systems, we would never get to a larger vision.”
Should that vision one day become a reality, commuters from as far south as Fredericksburg and even Richmond could board a Virginia Regional Express or Amtrak train and ride through D.C. all the way to Baltimore. To make that same trip today would require a Virginia resident to get off in Washington, pay for a second ticket and then board a MARC train on to Charm City.
“Once people realize this is one-fare, one-seat and you don’t have to dash across Union Station to catch the next train, these upgrades will translate to a big increase in ridership,” said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria. “We have to make the consumer experience easy and convenient.”
{snip}