Recent Blog Posts
The "S" stands for "special." Trains marked with an "S" operate every VRE service day, and they are typically the only trains that operate when VRE is on its "S" schedule. "S" schedule days typically occur during times of inclement weather or around certain holidays. The decision to run an "S" schedule is typically made the evening prior, or very early in the morning, before service starts. Service updates are passed to our riders via Train Talk emails, website updates, Facebook, Twitter and alerts to local media outlets.
- Free Ride Certificates (aka: FRCs)
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If a VRE train enters a station 30 minutes or more behind schedule, passengers detraining from that point forward are entitled to receive one "Free Ride Certificate" good for a FREE one-way trip on VRE.
- Train Delays
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There are many reasons for delays and below, we try to highlight some of the major ones:
- History of the Railroader's Timepiece
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Keeping time on the railroad began as an imperfect science. Timepieces of the very early 1800's were notorious for losing as much as ten minutes a day.
- Bell Versus Horn
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Two very symbolic and perhaps widely known components of the locomotive are the bell and the horn. Both are vital safety features, however, the bell's use predates the locomotive to the days of horse-drawn street cars and carriages.
- History of Railroad Signaling
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Since its birth, the railroad has employed a variety of signaling methods to communicate with locomotive crews as to what course of action they must take, mile by mile, in order to safeguard themselves from possible collision.