Virginia begins construction on passenger rail extension

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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.