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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 […]
$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 […]
Raleigh-to-Richmond rail project receives $1B federal grant
A passenger rail route between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond will receive a $1 billion U.S. Department of Transportation grant, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, announced Tuesday. The approximate 162-mile route will be along the currently out-of-service CSX Transportation “S-Line” as part of a Southeast corridor to connect North Carolina with Virginia, Washington, D.C., [&helli[...]
Tourism gains steam with scenic train tour
Virginia Scenic Railway’s new Shenandoah Valley Limited proved just the ticket for seasonal leaf-peepers and train enthusiasts, drawing thousands of visitors to Goshen this fall. The iconic Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611, known as the “Queen of Steam,” is one of the last extant mainline passenger steam locomotives built in the United States. […]
Valley views attract scenic train tours
The views Steve Powell and his employees at Buckingham Branch Railroad see daily while riding the rails inspired him to launch the Virginia Scenic Railway. “There are a lot of people that love railroads, and we love sharing our railroad. It’s a unique way of seeing the Virginia scenery instead of riding on the interstate,” […]
Port of Va. partnering with Norfolk Southern
The Port of Virginia is part of a new partnership with Norfolk Southern Corp., Hapag-Lloyd and Union Pacific Railroad. The partners will provide expedited train shipping from the East Coast to the western U.S., Norfolk Southern announced last week. The partnership, called OceaNS Bridge Express, will start at the Port of Virginia’s Norfolk International Terminals […]
Norfolk Southern donates archives to museum
Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern Corp. donated its complete collection of historical documents and archives from Norfolk and Western Railway, its predecessor, to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the company announced last week. Norfolk Southern, formerly headquartered in Norfolk, also provided a $750,000 grant to help the museum digitize, catalog and preserve the collection, and [&helli[...]
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 […]
Laying tracks for The Tide
Commuters are on board with Hampton Roads Transit’s plans to extend The Tide, its 7.4-mile light rail system, according to recent public discussions about proposed new routes. This fall, HRT held one virtual discussion and three pop-up sessions at transit stations in Norfolk to gather public input about expanding the light rail to Sentara Leigh […]
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 […]
