CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia and Norfolk Southern Railway beget reached a $257 million agreement to bring new passenger rail service to phase of southwest Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam introduced Wednesday.
The deal that includes infrastructure improvements and proper-of-manner and monitor acquisitions will increase existing service to Roanoke, the governor’s place of business talked about. It’s going to also newly expand it to Christiansburg, which neighbors Blacksburg, dwelling to Virginia Tech.
Meaning service will be returning to the Fresh River Valley, the distance southwest of Roanoke, for the first time since 1979.
“Bringing passenger rail service attend to the Fresh River Valley will gas tourism, pressure economic growth, and originate new alternatives for the build’s 180,000 residents and 40,000 college students,” the governor talked about in a observation.
The announcement comes amid an ongoing push by the Northam administration to expand and beef up passenger, commuter and freight rail.
Below the agreement and starting next 365 days, a further round-day out train to Roanoke will walk away Washington, D.C., in the morning and attend Alexandria, Burke, Manassas, Culpeper, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke, according to a news free up. That train will complement an existing one which travels northbound from Roanoke in the morning and returns in the afternoon.
The two round trips will then be extended from Roanoke to Christiansburg upon completion of the infrastructure improvements in 2025.
Section of the agreement also involves studying the possibility of adding a stop in Bedford, topic to future funding, and assessing the price of extending passenger rail to Bristol, in the command’s far southwest.
Source:
Northam announces deal to expand rail in southwest Virginia
