Dive Brief:
- Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin broke ground April 24 in Christiansburg, Virginia, on a project to extend passenger rail service to the city from Roanoke, Virginia. The project will return passenger rail service to the New River Valley in Southwest Virginia for the first time since 1979.
- The project stems from a 2024 agreement between the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and freight railroad Norfolk Southern which gave VPRA access to Christiansburg.
- The $265 million project will allow Amtrak to schedule two daily round trips from Christiansburg to Washington, D.C., beginning in 2027.
Dive Insight:
More than 1.4 million passengers rode VPRA’s four state-supported Amtrak routes in 2024, an increase of nearly 5% over the previous year, setting a new ridership record. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation plans to invest $232 million in VPRA from its draft six-year improvement program beginning in fiscal year 2026 to maintain and expand passenger rail service in the state.
“Today’s groundbreaking represents a lot of hard work, determination and collaboration,” Youngkin said in a statement.
The VPRA ditched an earlier plan for the route to Christiansburg when it was found to be too costly. The agency negotiated a new deal with NS resulting in the current plan.
“We are here today because people came to the table and worked together to execute a new and dramatically better deal,” Youngkin said.
The New River Valley project includes a new station platform in Christiansburg, track and signal system improvements and an Amtrak layover facility in nearby Radford, Virginia. The historic Christiansburg station building will be renovated beginning in 2027 by the New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Authority.
“Passenger rail creates greater potential for sustained economic growth, facilitates job creation and provides an efficient, affordable travel alternative to riding on the crowded interstate highway system,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Republican, in a statement.
Amtrak trains between Christiansburg and Washington, D.C. will make stops in Virginia at Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Burke Centre and Alexandria. Passengers can connect to other Amtrak trains at Washington Union Station.
