Virginia commissions approve $155 million Manassas rail line agreement
TRANSPORTATION
Virginia commissions approve $155 million Manassas rail line agreement
BY: NATHANIEL CLINE - MARCH 7, 2025 2:30 PM
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Owners of the commuter rail system Virginia Railway Express on Thursday signed off on a five-year, $155 million agreement to purchase the Manassas Line, allowing the system to enhance service reliability and provide control over stations and schedules between Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia.
The Manassas Line originates at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and goes to Broad Run in Prince William County.
The move will give the rail system ownership of Seminary Yard in Alexandria, allowing the system to enhance the existing freight rail yard and construct a midday storage facility. The ownership rights will also give VRE the Broad Run Corridor from Alexandria to Broad Run, the permanent easement to five station platforms and the permanent commuter rail operating easement along the Manassas Line.
On Thursday night, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock River Transportation Commission, co-partners of VRE, officially voted at separate meetings to authorize the VRE chief executive officer to execute a funding agreement with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA).
The agreement is part of VREs System Plan 2050 designed to help officials address the publics changing travel patterns, including those of commuting office workers, which have shifted over the past decade. The plan is also focused on maximizing daily riders and expanding daily service offering non-peak and weekend service.
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