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While many riders may not think of what goes on behind the scenes to make their commutes happen, dozens of committed officials and professional staffers are committed to maintaining and growing public transportation in Northern Virginia.
NVTC and VRE's History
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) was founded in 1964. While it would be nearly three decades before VRE trains started rolling down the tracks, discussions surrounding a commuter rail system in Northern Virginia began soon after the General Assembly created the Northern Virginia Transportation District. The founding jurisdictions included Arlington and Fairfax Counties and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax. Loudon County joined in 1990.
A 1984 feasibility study kicked off the formal planning stage. Two years later came the origination of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), created, in part, to join with NVTC in launching VRE.
NVTC and VRE Today
To this day, NVTC and PRTC support and appoint members to the VRE Operations Board. The two Commissions jointly own all the assets, including the rolling stock and stations.
The creation and ongoing support of VRE is an example of how NVTC (and PRTC) bring together elected officials from across Northern Virginia to make regional decisions to improve transportation. NVTC gives communities a voice and promotes cross-jurisdictional cooperation. That cooperation is evident in how Northern Virginia manages its relationship with Metro, speaking with one voice to ensure high-quality service across the region. NVTC is also active in planning for regional Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems and, through comprehensive data analysis, helps local systems find the best routes for their buses.
- VRE and Security
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VRE's security strategy takes a system wide approach and considers the following as our security assets: passengers, train crews, VRE staff, law enforcement partners, host railroads, special programs and community.
- VRE's Ticket Exchange Policy
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31-Day, Ten-Trip, Seven-Day, Round-Trip, Step-Up and Single-Ride Tickets are non-refundable. However, in some cases, we can make exchanges.
- Mobile Tickets
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Aside from ticket purchase, VRE Mobile comes in handy when it comes time to validate a ticket. Validating a ticket, the process of applying the value of one ride from a ticket to that current trip on a train, is mandatory before starting a trip.
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About VRE Step-Up Tickets
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A step-up ticket is a ticket that VRE riders can purchase (in conjunction with a TLC Ticket, Monthly Ticket, 31-Day Pass, Seven Day Pass or Ten-Trip ticket) that allows one the ability to ride a designated Amtrak train.