In the Summer of 2024, VPRA signed a new agreement with Norfolk Southern to purchase the Manassas Line and gain passenger rail access to Christiansburg on the main line or N-Line. The New River Valley project will return passenger rail service to the historic Cambria Yard, which served rail passengers from 1904 to 1979. The Project will construct a high-level platform, canopy, parking lot, siding track, and layover facility.
The Virginia General Assembly established The New River Valley Station Authority in 2021 to lead the construction and maintenance of the station building project. Norfolk Southern is managing the design and construction of all other aspects of the building project not related to the station.
The project includes:
- Platform with canopy
- Parking lot
- Track improvements
- Updated signaling system
- Access roads
- Norfolk Southern staffing and maintenance facility
- Amtrak layover facility in nearby Radford
- Renovation of the historic Christiansburg station
Pictured to the right: rendering of the station building, platform, and tracks.
Project Status: Construction
Site preparation and preliminary construction began in late February 2025. The new Norfolk Southern staffing and maintenance facility will be completed first, followed by the new track, platform with canopy, parking, and access roads. The station renovations are expected to commence in 2027 after the NRV service begins.
- Increased rail capacity that enables more frequent passenger rail service with better on-time reliability
- Modernized and renovated historic rail station that provides access to the expanded Amtrak Virginia passenger service
- New access for Radford University, Virginia Tech and the entire New River Valley area
Total Budget: Cambria Platform & Radford Layover: $71.5M
*Total cost of Western Rail Corridor, for more information view the VPRA Budget
Project Details
What's New
Public Involvement and Community Outreach
Spring 2024 Public Outreach Materials
Documents and Reports
New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Feasibility Study (June 2022)
- Executive Summary – 655KB (PDF)
- Entire Study – 3MB (PDF)
- Appendix A: Public Outreach Summary – 3MB (PDF)
- Appendix B: Screening Results Tables – 43MB (PDF)
- Appendix C: Full Screening Analysis – 190KB (PDF)
- Appendix D: FRA Grade Crossing Database – 18MB (PDF)
- Appendix E: Cultural & Historical Resources Report – 3MB (PDF)
- Appendix F: IPaC Reports – 3MB (PDF)
Fact Sheets and Project Materials
Project FAQs
Why is VPRA undertaking the NRV Passenger Rail Project?
VPRA’s mission is to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. To better connect statewide Amtrak service to southwestern Virginia, the Commonwealth entered an agreement with Norfolk Southern to extend passenger rail service along the former Virginian Line from Roanoke to the New River Valley (NRV) for the first time since 1979.
The agreement includes plans to increase and expand rail service to the New River Valley through infrastructure improvements, including a new passenger platform and train layover facility.
What other alternatives were considered?
In June 2022, VPRA completed a feasibility study that examined five potential station locations in and around the NRV—southwest of Roanoke—with the final station location selected to be along the Blacksburg Branch near Christiansburg.
An additional station site location on the Virginian Line (V-line) was also considered, offering service on the Virginian Line (V-line), which had recently been acquired by the Commonwealth in 2022.
Public feedback during outreach events in winter 2023 and spring 2024, quarterly virtual meetings, stakeholder conversations, and a review of a more comprehensive schedule and budget estimates for the New River Valley repeatedly called for keeping service on the Norfolk Southern main line (N-line) and rebuilding a station in Christiansburg at the site of the historic Cambria Station.
In September 2024, VPRA entered into a new agreement with Norfolk Southern which allowed access to the N-Line in the New River Valley. This was essential for the planned service expansion into the NRV and furthered VPRA’s mission to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. As part of the agreement, VPRA purchased the Manassas line (that operates between Alexandria and Manassas) from Norfolk Southern Corporation. Additionally, VPRA gained access to the Norfolk Southern main line (N-Line) between Roanoke and Christiansburg for the expansion of service to the New River Valley.
How does the agreement with Norfolk Southern affect me and my community?
As part of the agreement, Norfolk Southern agreed to build the platform with canopy, track and parking lot in Christiansburg and construct a layover facility in Radford, allowing service to New River Valley as soon as 2027.
With ownership of the Manassas line, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) has more control of future service for the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Amtrak Virginia. The Manassas line purchase allows VRE to expand service by adding night and weekend service as well as more weekday trips. Currently, the Manassas line is used by eight weekday VRE round trips and two daily Amtrak Virginia round trips. This preferred option eliminates additional infrastructure costs associated with the original plan, such as tunnel safety improvements and grade crossings.
Additionally, this option also allows Amtrak Virginia service to the Christiansburg area, Radford University, and Virginia Tech to begin earlier than previously planned.
What will the new station look like? How will VPRA’s planned upgrades improve the station?
Norfolk Southern’s Cambria Yard, which served rail passengers from 1906 to 1979, has been chosen as the station site on the main line. Norfolk Southern will build the high-level platform, canopy, and sidetrack in Christiansburg, and a layover facility in Radford.
The new platform will be four feet high above the top of the rail, making it level with the train for accessible boarding. The platform will be 960 feet long, 16 feet wide on either side of the station, and 10 feet wide directly in front of the station. There will be two platform canopies, a 265-foot canopy on the west side of the station and a 406-foot canopy on the east side of the station, with about 2/3 of the full platform being covered.
The New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Authority will lead a separate project for the renovation of the 1906 station building, which is expected to start after service begins.
What will parking look like at the new station?
There will be three spaces for buses in the bus bay, 137 regular parking spaces, 5 ADA spaces, and 1 van accessible ADA space for a total of 143 parking spaces. There will also be a Kiss and Ride drop off area with 5 short-term parking spaces.
When will the trains arrive and depart from the new station?
VPRA is still determining future schedules, but passengers can expect two daily roundtrip trains arriving and departing from Christiansburg.
Incoming trains are anticipated to arrive around 2:00 pm and 11:00 pm, and outgoing trains are expected to depart around 5:30 am and 3:30 pm. These times are approximate and will change prior to implementation.
How is the NRV project being funded?
The upgrades that Norfolk Southern is completing on behalf of VPRA including the platform, canopy, track, layover facility, and parking lot are funded through a variety of state sources.
The station building renovation which will be completed by the NRV Station Authority is expected to be funded through a combination of federal and regional sources.
When is construction expected to begin, and how long will it take to complete the project?
Construction began in January 2025, and service is expected to begin as early as 2027.
Will this project have an impact on the environment?
VPRA is working with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and other regulatory agencies to assess environmental impacts. VPRA is working with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to document the historic fabric of the structures and mitigate any additional impacts to historic buildings.
VPRA will obtain the appropriate permits before performing any work and will minimize disturbance to the surrounding areas where feasible. All land use temporarily affected by construction activities will be returned to its original use after construction is complete.
What mitigation efforts are in place to reduce environmental impacts?
The construction of the platform and canopy will alter the viewshed between the Christiansburg Railroad Depot and Cambria Freight Station.
As part of the mitigation efforts related to this impact, VPRA, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) and local historical organizations, has conducted an intensive-level architectural survey of the Christiansburg Railroad Depot and Cambria Freight Station and an accompanying report.
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