States can request additional Amtrak passenger rail service if the state pays a portion of the costs. State-supported trains are generally shorter-distance trains covering specific routes compared to the Amtrak long-distance trains, which traverse much longer distances covering multiple states. Virginia is one of 18 states providing state-supported service. In December 2012, Amtrak and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) inaugurated service to Petersburg and Norfolk from Washington, DC, and Richmond. In October 2017, the Washington, DC, to Lynchburg service was extended to Roanoke.
Railroad operations are constrained due to conflicts between freight and passenger trains, which operate at different speeds and must be carefully coordinated. The separation of passenger and freight trains will eliminate this conflict, reducing train interference delays, and improving network fluidity.
Transforming Rail in Virginia is a path to full separation of freight and passenger rail service on many of Virginia’s rail corridors. This separation and associated infrastructure projects increase capacity and will allow Virginia, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) to coordinate and grow passenger rail services according to market demand rather than being driven by the timing of relieving capacity constraints.
Once Virginia completes construction of a separate passenger rail corridor, Virginia and CSX Transportation (CSXT) will benefit from freight-dedicated tracks free of passenger rail traffic. This will allow CSXT to better serve the Port of Virginia and Richmond Marine Terminal, which are seeking an increase in rail services to address expansion plans and support increasing demand to transport freight goods by rail due to congestion on the vehicular road network.
