Recent Blog Posts
You’ve probably heard these health and safety guidelines thousands of times since March 2020, from VRE as well as from local leaders and national health organizations:
- Wash your hands, and sanitize your hands as needed
- Practice social distancing
- Wear a face covering per the executive order (constructed of multiple layers per the Centers for Disease Control)
- Stay home if you are sick, etc.
There is little dispute to the effectiveness of these measures in containing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and other contagious diseases.
What you may not have heard as often is why it is so critically important to follow these guidelines when taking public transportation. In order to get back to normal as safely as we can on VRE’s trains, we are calling on all of our riders to be respectful by adhering to these basic rules. Right now, it is all about respect for your fellow VRE passengers and our crews who continue to provide these essential services.
Successful Mitigation Requires a Partnership
VRE is doing everything we can to establish safety and health protocols to ensure the safe return of our riders, but of course you, the rider, play the most vital role in virus mitigation efforts. For example, VRE railcars are disinfected twice a day with special attention paid to frequently touched surfaces. Even with the extra precautionary steps taken by our teams to defeat the spread of the virus, we all need VRE passengers to comply with these guidelines to be as successful as possible.
Wearing a face covering on board is a requirement for most people per the Governor's office and federal mandate, and may even be the most important step we all can take together in order to return to more normal conditions.
Also, while we clean our ticket vending machines daily, the best way to ensure a clean surface is to "put the ticket machine in your pocket" -- meaning it may be time to consider the switch to VRE Mobile. VRE Mobile allows you to purchase and validate tickets from your phone. If you have questions about VRE Mobile or would like assistance to switch from paper, please visit vre.org/mobile.
Words of Gratitude and a Pledge to our Riders
We are sincerely grateful to our riders during this time for maintaining social distancing from both passengers and crew. To our loyal VRE riders who have been teleworking, we thank you for doing your part and look forward to welcoming you back. We are proud that our passengers who are not able to telework during this time continue to trust us to provide a safe and convenient commute, and will continue to look for ways to improve upon our already clean and safe service.
- Operation Lifesaver Infographic
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Track Safety: Learn the facts. Exercise judgement. Teach others.
It is not only dangerous to walk on train tracks, it is also ILLEGAL. Trains are quieter than ever, and always move faster than they appear.
- Head Phones & Announcements
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We understand that riders wish to be as comfortable as they can while riding our trains. But remember, train announcements are there for a reason and if you hear them playing, you may wish to take a second and listen. If you do wear headphones, please keep a few things in mind ...
- Rippon and the Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge
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Recent construction at the Rippon station to allow public access to a wildlife refuge has been completed. The Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge, which is adjacent to this VRE station, is a National Wildlife Refuge established with the purpose to protect the features of a contiguous wetlands area.
- The Circus Train
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Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, step right up and witness the final bow to what was once the greatest ride on Earth! The Circus Train! The RBBX circus trains were more than one mile in length and consisted of 60 railroad cars, which is the equivalent of 120 trucks.
- Feet on the Floor
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The next time you’re out walking, pay attention to what you are walking on. You just might notice that the ground isn’t exactly clean, with the mud, grass, wet leaves, gum, glass, and general yuck.