April

• Nat from Burke asks
  I am a new to VRE and would like to find out what to do when miss the station at the evening. Do you know if there is any shuttle bus service at the evening time to get back to home station?

  VRE Response
  Welcome aboard Nat.  We don't have any set program to assist passengers who miss their stop, but several stations do have shuttle buses to and from commuter lots.  From there, a rideshare option may be the best bet.  In emergency cases check out https://www.vre.org/service/guaranteed-ride-home/ for more information.

• David from asks
  How are the conductors schedules determined? Do they bid for certain trains on a certain line? And how often do they change schedules? We do see some switching from time to time.

  VRE Response
  Conductors are able to bid on jobs once a month based on seniority.

• Linda from Manassas, Va asks
  The city of Manassas Garage right on the track side, the elevators need servicing. There's only one working I believe. but it seems that the one working may be a bit iffy. I wouldn't want to be stuck on that elevator. Thanks.

  VRE Response
  We have sent this to our Manager of Facilities Manager. Thanks for the feedback.

• Shelley from Brooke asks
  Will you support Take Our Daughters to Work Day?

  VRE Response
  Yes, we will be honoring the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day on Thursday, April 25th. Kids can ride for free with their parents on that day.

• Scott from Bristow asks
  When I show up to a station it only lists train numbers on the screen. How is a new rider supposed to know which is Fredericksburg or Manassas?

  VRE Response
  Every train car will show which line it services on the outside of that car. Also, all VRE trains begin with the number 3. If the 2nd number is a 0 or 1, it is a Fredericksburg line train (i.e. 301, 313). If the 2nd number is a 2 or 3, it is a Manassas line train (i.e. 322, 333).

• Curtis from Stafford asks
  Any plans to buy more railcars anytime soon?

  VRE Response
  Yes, we will be purchasing more railcars soon. Stay tuned for additional information.

• Igor from Manassas, VA asks
  Why do you send out Train Talks for this forum so early on Monday when there is no link to ask a question yet?

  VRE Response
  The Forum begins accepting questions at 6 pm the day before the Forum, so we generally send a reminder Tuesday evening after 6 pm.  We then send a reminder out during morning service on the day of.  Not sure why one went out on Monday.

• Brian from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  If you implement a 31 day pass, will that eliminate the current monthly? How would the new ticket affect revenue?

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the follow-up Brian.  If we ultimately offer a 31 day pass the plan is to offer it at the same price as the current calendar monthly.  The impact on revenue is being studied right now to better inform our decision.  Feedback from the survey shows about 2/3 of passengers would be in favor of the change.

• George from Stafford, VA asks
  PTC delays? Make me feel better about those, please. You usually send out explanations afterwards, but mum after those happened for whatever reason.

  VRE Response
  Fortunately, we have experienced very few delay minutes directly attributable to our roll-out of PTC. The delays we have experienced have been a mix of crew familiarity and equipment related. All of our trains continue to be monitored by the PTC implementation teams from VRE, NS, and CSX. Help desks have been established to ensure timely resolution of issues in order to minimize current and any future delays.

• Connie from Stafford asks
  Has the policy changed with regard to the vestibule doors being closed while in transit? I ask this as a few weeks ago, a conductor was holding the door open have a discussion with someone and another passenger asked if the door could be closed as it was quite cold that morning and the response from the conductor was that there was nothing wrong with having the door open and he could have the door open anytime he wanted.

  VRE Response
  We will remind our conductors to not hold open the vestibule doors. Let us know if this continues to be an issue on your train.

• Tim from FBG asks
  Fredericksburg Lot E: I'm going on faith that you are working with the lot owner on the craters that I've reminded you about previously and that will be corrected as the weather improves...but I also notice now that VRE riders are parking outside the yellow line denoting the boundary of where to park and where not to park. Is it now okay to park outside the previous boundary or is this just another case of system beaters? BTW...the line is very faded. Thanks.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for bringing it up Tim.  When we addressed this with the owner last month, we were told it would be taken care of.  If the issues are not addressed this week, we'll have our Facilities crew work on it this weekend.

• Walter from Manassas asks
  Updated printable schedules on your website are on two pages instead of one. They used to be on one page. Can you please update your PDF printable schedules to actually print both north and south trains on one page per route instead of two? Thanks.

  VRE Response
  Will do Walter. Thank you for the heads up.

• Marc from Leeland Station asks
  There is a branch hanging out into the curve of the first isle in the parking lot as soon as you enter off of leeland road. Can you please contact Stafford County to get it cut?

  VRE Response
  This has been passed along to our Manager of Facilities Maintenance. Thanks for the feedback.

• Carrie from Fredericksburg asks
  Why have mobile frcs been so difficult to request? The support team has been non responsive

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question Carrie.  We do not issue FRCs on the mobile app.  Once we can find a way for the conductor to add them at the time of the disruption, we will adjust the process.  In the meantime, FRCs are only available in the paper form.

• Jimmy from Lorton, va asks
  Will you be moving to the 31 day pass?

  VRE Response
  Not yet decided,Jimmy, but stay tuned...

• Dave from Train Schedules asks
  Do you all know when you all will evaluate a time change for Fredrickburg/Manassas train schedules? It would be nice if each line moved up a few minutes for their first trains. Will any new trains be added to either line in the near future. When the Amazon jobs start getting filled in Crystal City it will have an impact on all commuting in the DC area. I am just hoping there is a plan in place over the next 1-3 years.

  VRE Response
  Dave, we evaluate our schedules based upon our current ridership and trends.  Changes in the times and frequencies are contractually limited by our agreements with the host railroads, but we do monitor ridership and will propose changes when they are appropriate. We currently do not have plans which include the first trains departing earlier.

• Rose from Stafford, VA asks
  More and more I am finding Leeland Station riders queuing up BEFORE the evening train even pulls into Brooke station. And it doesn't seem to matter which train it is. Usually those that do queue up before Brooke will step aside but last night on the 309 those of us exiting at Brooke had to work around those queuing for Leeland. What more can be done to prevent this rude behavior? There were plenty of seats so there was no reason for these riders to be blocking the door.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the feedback Rose. As many of our long-term riders know, queuing is a constant issue.  As you stated, it is rude behavior which we have addressed through informational campaigns, procedural changes, and conductor enforcement.  Unfortunately, the issue keeps recurring. We'll ask the conductors to better manage this at Brooke and other stations where the issue continues to arise.

• TJ from Burke, VA asks
  Are there plans to develop the muddy mucky mess of an open field next to the Rolling Rd station? If properly configured, it could easily add 15 - 20 more spots to a very crowded lot. Most days Rolling Rd.'s lot is full by 7:25am, forcing some commuters to park there.

  VRE Response
  The plans for the platform extension at Rolling Road show a proposed parking expansion.  Please check out the project page at : https://www.vre.org/development/station-improvements/rolling-road-platform-extension/

• Andrew from Springfield asks
  I know that track congestion, dispatching, and signals are largely out of VRE's control, but for the last several months train 328 has arrived at union station more than 5 minutes late almost every day. Would it be appropriate to adjust the schedule to reflect a more accurate arrival time? On a more positive note, please pass along to the Keolis folks that the conductors have been doing a great job, always friendly and efficient.

  VRE Response
  Thank you for the comments Andrew, we'll pass along to the Keolis crews.

  Last summer, as a result of a multitude of issues, our generally consistent On Time Performance of >90% dropped.  At the time, only 8 of our 32 trains stayed consistently over the 90% mark.  We track OTP by train, looking at the most recent 60 operating days so we can see current trends which we may be able to positively affect through operational changes.  As of the end of March, we have 20 trains performing at or above 90%, an improvement, but the work continues.

  Last summer, 328 had been operating at only 33% OTP.  The primary issue we found was interference with the reverse flow move of 326 back from Union Station to be stored in the track by the L'Enfant station.  We worked with Amtrak and CSX on how the move was handled and have been able to get 328's performance back up to 62%.  Still not acceptable, but we continue to look for options to impact the OTP. 

  If we find the schedule is the driving factor, with this or other trains showing lower than expected OTP, we will make adjustments as necessary.  We would not just add 5 minutes to the schedule as extra pad.  When we make schedule changes, it involves working with all of our host railroads on adjustments which will make the entire network operate more smoothly, and help minimize total trip time.

• Rog from Burke asks
  The 327 train leaving Union Station each afternoon is always filled with exhaust fume when traveling through the tunnel on the way to the L'Enfant station. Is there an automated system to close dampers when going through the tunnel and reopen when emerging from the tunnel? Or is this a manual process the conductors must perform? If manual, this process is never taking place. The train cars are always filled with exhaust fumes but as soon as we emerge it quickly dissipates since the dampers were never closed. Can this be addressed?

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the feedback Rog.  It is a manual process.  The conductors are required to close the dampers prior to entering the tunnel, and reopen once the train emerges.  We will ask Keolis to address this with the crew on 327.

• Bart from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Just a comment about WiFi on the trains from your email today: I'm quite happy there is no WiFi on the trains. It provides an excuse not to respond to my boss' calls and emails. It also allows me to ride the train, since 2001, without being forced to listen to annoying videos and other online noise from fellow passengers; I get enough of that at work. There is always that 10% of people, wherever you go, who have no manners or consideration for others. So thank you for not having WiFi on the trains!

  VRE Response
  Thank you for the feedback Bart.

• Michael from Annandale, Va asks
  Are there any long term plans for the Backlick Rd station? If so, can you share them? I'm asking because the parking lot is full most days, and while certainly not the highest priority station for improvement, the platform should be lengthened. Thanks for any info.

  VRE Response
  Michael, in our Capital Improvement Plan, we will be lengthening the platform at Backlick Road similar to the current project underway at Rolling Road.  We do not have an estimated timeline for the completion of this project, but please check https://www.vre.org/development/station-improvements/ . Once the project advances, we will post updates.

• JL from Burke asks
  I have three questions. 1. Where are the online forum archives? I looked under every tab and menu on the website, and can't find them. Like so many other organizations, every time you "improve" your website, you make it harder to find anything. 2. Why was 331 delayed on Monday? We were almost 15 minutes late getting into Burke, and there was nary an announcement explaining the cause. By the way, the level of communication that passengers experience on any given train appears to be inversely proportional to the amount of time that the conductors spend jawing with each other or with their favorite passengers. Perhaps the conductors should spend their break time chatting, and their work time working. 3. Do you know whether Roberts Parkway between the Fairfax County Parkway and the station (and probably further) is going to be repaved this year? The patches of the patches have patches and new potholes form seemingly every day. This is the only road on which my car rattles -- actually rattles -- as I drive over it, even at reduced speed.

  VRE Response
  1. https://www.vre.org/about/online-forum/

  2.  331 was delayed on Monday primarily due to being held at a stop signal to allow Amtrak train 171 to go around. There was also a slight delay incurred as a result of our continued rollout of the Positive Train Control (PTC) system.

  3. We'll pass this along to Fairfax County.

• Jeremy from Burke, VA asks
  Is it possible to follow Metro's lead and allow full-size bikes on all trains?

  VRE Response
  Sorry Jeremy. Many of our trains are simply too crowded to allow full-sized bicycles.  Collapsible bikes are permitted on every train, but full-sized bikes are only permitted where we have available capacity.  Check out the entire bike policy section of our website at https://www.vre.org/about/blog/summer-passenger-information-campaign-vre-onboard-bicycle-policy/

• Angeka from Dumfries, Va asks
  When will the Southbridge VRE station open?

  VRE Response
  The Potomac Shores station is under development. Please check the developer's website for the latest updates:  https://potomacshores.com/potomac-shores-train-station-moving-forward-following-signed-agreement-virginia-drpt-csx-transportation/

• John from Fredericksburg asks
  would you please include time of day and ETA on at least the next arrival at station displays? On time and delayed status is not all helpful.

  VRE Response
  John, as mentioned in an earlier question we are working on improvements to the messaging system at the stations.  We have been testing a real-time train arrival on VRE Mobile, but the predictive analytics for addressing delays in our system, which would allow us to have ETA on the boards has not yet proven reliable enough for inclusion.  We'll keep working on it for the upgrade project.

• Robin from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Can we please have the lower gravel lot @ Leeland Road re-screened especially at the entrance? Who do we need to talk to for getting that lot paved? Thanks

  VRE Response
  Robin, we'll have our Facilities Manager look at it to see what can be done.  The lot is actually owned by a property developer and leased by Stafford County to help accommodate VRE riders and other commuters.

• Shelby from Stafford, VA asks
  Why doesn't VRE have free WiFi on cars for riders?!

  VRE Response
  There are large areas of our service area where there is little to no cellular coverage on both lines.  We operate on private railroad tracks and do not have the ability to add trackside equipment to support WiFi, so we have to rely on the cellular technology.  We continue to look for viable solutions, but will not offer WiFi until we can guarantee a quality experience for everyone.  If we installed now, there would be large areas where the signal would be lost and the experience would be unacceptable.

• Regina from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  In previous surveys, riders have requested that the platform monitors be updated with the time. Are there any plans to have the time added to the display screen soon?

  VRE Response
  Great question Regina. We are working on upgrades to our Variable Messaging System at the stations to include more information and to be more flexible with our messaging.  The proof of concept locations will be at Fredericksburg and Alexandria, and we hope to have those done by late Summer/early Fall.  We'll look for a way to sync the time to official railroad time (United States Naval Observatory.)

• Debbie from Broad Run, VA asks
  At the Broad Run Station is it possible to have a flood light placed facing the station sign on Piper Ln that has a light sensor? Despite the street light it is very dark over there and hard to see the road that heads to the station. Thank you.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the suggestion Debbie. We'll have our Facilities Manager check it out to see if something can be done there.

• Sara from Fairfax asks
  Why can't the vre run limited service during weekends? I take the vre almost everyday to get to work to dc from the Burke station. It would be nice to have a few vre trains on weekends as well.

  VRE Response
  Sorry Sara, VRE is set up to be specifically a Commuter service.  Our current agreements with the host railroads do not allow for weekend service, and we have no immediate plans to offer weekend service.

• Mark from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Why does the mobile ticket revert back to available ticket screen when phone locks. And why do the conductors still say have all tickets visable at all times. When that's not possible for mobile tickets.

  VRE Response
  Good questions Mark.  Not having the animation running in the background will help save battery life on the phone.  The default screen, once you have a validated ticket, is the My Tickets page, showing the ticket in yellow, indicating it is the current one being used, so you don't accidentally activate another ride.

  The conductors should re-phrase their request to "have all tickets available", since it is unreasonable to continually display the mobile version.  We'll address this with the crews.

• Michael from Spotsylvania asks
  Any thinking on how the new apartment complex will affect traffic, congestion at the Spotsylvania station?

  VRE Response
  We don't expect any major issues with traffic, Michael.  Volume may increase some, but VRE traffic all arrives and departs at very specific times. The residential traffic should be more evenly spread through the morning and evening rush periods, and should be flowing in the opposite direction (unless they are all commuting on VRE).

• samanta from Stafford asks
  It it possibly to clean the trains more often? Not just sweeping and mopping but wiping down the seats and windows. Thank you

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the feedback Samanta.  Trains are cleaned each day.  If you notice issues with a specific train or car, please forward the information to us at GoTrains@vre.org and we'll make sure it gets addressed.

• Lisa from Woodbridge asks
  Why do trains have the ac on all the time? Even when it's still cold out

  VRE Response
  The system is designed and set to maintain a temperature between 70 and 74 degrees.  There are blowers on the upper level to allow the system to circulate both fresh and conditioned air, so if you are on the upper level you may notice more air circulation.

• Rude alert from Manassas asks
  Please inform passengers and conductors that ear phones are required in all cars. It is not acceptable to watch movies at higher volume . This is not allowed in any public transportation system. There is a mother/ daughter who sit and watch movies on the 328 train in the morning. No conductor around to report to. Please help

  VRE Response
  We'll make sure this is a part of our courtesy reminders onboard, in our Train Talk alerts, in RIDE magazine, and on our website.

• S from Woodbridge Virginia asks
  My question is why is it getting so difficult to ride the VRE? Train 307 car 4. Nightly I watch passengers standing in the vestibule talking with the conductors, doors open, passengers standing in the stairwells, passengers standing blocking aisles when seats are available. This is a very crowded train, on April 2nd passengers were asked to exit the train to allow other passengers to detrain not only did this not happen, it created impassable aisle ways, with riders not moving to allow riders to move forward or exit, when new passengers boarded they could not move to find seats. There are seats available, passengers will need to move to the back of the train. Why don't the conductors enforce train policy? Between the late trains and chaos on board, I am starting wonder why I take the VRE?

  VRE Response
  We understand the frustration. 307 is an 8-car train, and for at least a portion of the ride is at capacity.  We have asked the Keolis Transportation Managers to work with this crew specifically to help better distribute passengers throughout the train to help avoid some of the situations you describe. We will continue to monitor and follow-up.

Good afternoon and welcome to the first Online Forum of Spring. Joining us in studio today are Paul and Gerald from Keolis, Brian from CSX, and Kim from Amtrak.

On to the questions!