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Amtrak CEO abruptly resigns from the nation’s passenger railroad
NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week. Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy […]
NRV passenger rail on track for 2027
Sooner than initially anticipated, rail passengers will be able to ride to and from the New River Valley for the first time since 1979. In late August 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority approved a deal that would bring Amtrak service to the region via Norfolk Southern’s main line from Roanoke by 2027. Passengers would […]
Raleigh-to-Richmond rail project gains steam
Preliminary construction is underway for the Richmond-to-Raleigh passenger rail project, an estimated 162-mile route along the defunct CSX Transportation S-Line corridor that will speed up travel between the capitals of North Carolina and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C., and the Northeast U.S. “We have basically funded work to advance all of the preliminary engineering […]
All aboard in Hampton Roads
Amtrak Virginia — the state-supported Amtrak rail service — has been experiencing record ridership for more than a year, with passengers in Newport News and Norfolk making up the lion’s share of the traffic. In March, with the state recording a high of 123,658 train riders, 79,158 came from Norfolk and Newport News. In June, […]
$729M federal transportation package will finish Long Bridge expansion
The most significant rail choke point on the East Coast will be fixed as part of a $729 million federal funding package for transportation projects in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday at an event in Arlington County also attended by a […]
Sharing the wealth
Virginia small businesses are getting a piece of the biggest highway construction pie ever baked by the Virginia Department of Transportation: the $3.9 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project. Since April 2019, VDOT has awarded 313 contracts worth a collective $455 million to companies that qualify under the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Small, Women-owned, […]
Amtrak to boost service in Norfolk, Roanoke, Newport News
Amtrak will add a third daily departure from Norfolk and a second daily departure from Roanoke on its Northeast Regional route, while also bolstering train service in Newport News, all beginning July 11. The train already departs from Norfolk early in the morning and mid-morning, so the third departure will be in the early afternoon. […]
Bedford lays tracks for possible Amtrak stop
Leigh Ann Ellis is all aboard for Amtrak to begin stopping in the town of Bedford. In the past, Ellis, a journalism teacher at Bedford County’s Staunton River High School, had her students board the train in Lynchburg for field trips to New York or Washington, D.C. For students who live in Goodview, on the […]
Va. launches Amtrak service from downtown Richmond to D.C. and New York
Virginia is launching the Amtrak Northeast Regional Route 51, a thrice daily service from downtown Richmond to Washington D.C. and New York, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday from Main Street Station. “If you’ve ever been stuck on I-95, you know we can’t pave our way out of congestion,” Northam said in a statement. “This new train offers […]
Va. finalizes $3.7B rail expansion agreement
Virginia will have more train service in the next decade, as Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday the formalization of a $3.7 billion rail expansion package in Virginia, the tenets of which were announced in late 2019. The state signed agreements with Amtrak, CSX and Virginia Railway Express at a ceremony Tuesday. According to the governor’s […]
