October

• Brian from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  New schedule for Oct 18th? Why? Some of us just getting our work times stable, unlike with everything else going on. Currently, the 303 leaves L'Enfant plaza at 3:18PM.....now starting Monday is arrives at L'Enfant at 2:48PM and 3:38pm...for the 305S.

  VRE Response
  Hi Brian, thanks for joining us.  We explained the schedule changes in our intro today.  We apologize the new schedule may not work for you now.  Hopefully as we add new service, it will become more convenient.

   

   

• Dave from Manassas asks
  Not really a question, more of a comment: As someone who has been goingintot he office uninterrupted since the pandemic began, it was strange sitting in VERY quiet cars, but I got used to the soothing time to nap or just sit and enjoy the difference. Now that offices seem to be coming back to life, I'm guessing it'll be quite the adjustment to hear the hum of conversation in the mornings and the more raucous behavior in the afternoon...luckily it'll be more gradual. Not sure which I prefer, but sure will be glad when things are "normal" again. VRE has presented a large part of "normalcy" all the while. Thanks for the great service!

  VRE Response
  We appreciate the feedback Dave.  Thank you and all of our riders who have stuck with us through the pandemic or are starting to return.  It is great to see the ridership numbers slowly increasing.

   

• Tom from Manassas asks
  I really like the fact the 327 train leaving from Union Station will depart 25 minutes ealier; the station has been extraordinarily clogged-up lately with heavy Amtrak usage (along with the two preceding Fredericksburg trains) that sometimes means a last-minute track change. Ffor us already standing on the platform at the "usual" location that can mean a mad rush back up the stairs to relocate in time.

  VRE Response
  Thanks Tom, glad the new schedule will work for you.  Kim is there to help communicate track changes as well, but hopefully the schedule will help with some of the confusion.

   

• Tom from Manassas asks
  Not really a train issue,m but certainly a station issue. The covered platform right beside the Manassas garage has rain-gutter downspouts that are probably clogged as the spillover from rain is like a waterfall in a couple places; they even drip days after a rain. Can these be checked and cleared? By the way, thanks for getting the stairwells cleaned-up; a good scrub did the trick to remove (at least temporarily) the heavy urine smell and stains. It made a BIG difference! Now, the challenge is to get the refuse removed from the parking areas. Thanks again.

  VRE Response
  Thanks Tom, we'll let our Facilities Manager know about the downspouts/gutters and we'll continue to work with the City on the stairwell issues.

   

• Davin from Woodbridge asks
  I noticed on car V806 that VRE replaced the seat bottoms and made the lights brighter. Is VRE refurbishing all of its older gallery cars in the fleet ?

  VRE Response
  Good observation Davin.  As promised in earlier forums we have a seat replacement program underway.  As of now 11 cars have been completed and the process will continue until we have all necessary replacements done.

   

   

• Davin from Woodbridge, VA asks
  This article said that VRE hoped to add 2 new trains to the schedule this fall, but that is not happening. What happening? Amtrak did add a new train in Virginia. Looking at the new schedule, the only Fredericksburg train that isn't changed is Train 309. https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/vre-hopes-return-to-full-schedule-will-boost-ridership/article_a4cbe056-c3cf-11eb-970e-5754263397b8.html

  VRE Response
  Thanks Davin. We hope to add the 2 new trains as soon as practical. The train Amtrak added a few weeks ago (86) was actually a train that was discontinued at the start of COVID. The train was reinstated and extended south from Staples Mill Station to Richmond Main Street Station to provide a direct connection north/south from/to downtown Richmond. 

   

   

• Kevin from Clark asks
  Thanks for providing the new schedules. I plan to return to VRE mid November and I really like the earlier departure for 327 from Crystal City. Will you guys continue to make changes in the near term to adjust for some of the potential unknowns when implementing a system wide schedule change like this?

  VRE Response
  Thanks Kevin, glad the change works for you.  Our hope is to not have to make any major changes as with this schedule.

   

   

• Charles from Spotsylvania asks
  My office is about to go back to working in the office. This is the first time I will be back riding the VRE since March 2020. I have 5 rides remaining on my 2020 ticket. Are they still good?

  VRE Response
  Hi Charles, we're handling all issues with tickets on an individual basis.  Please reach out to us at 703-684-1001 or through gotrains@vre.org and we'll be happy to assist.

   

   

• Georgia S. from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Outstanding job with the new schedule. It is obvious you have been listening to your customers over the years. I particularly like the earlier departure of train 303 at Union Station. Keep up the great job you guys do everyday!

  VRE Response
  Thank you for the feedback. Glad you are happy with the changes.

   

• Walter from Manassas, VA asks
  I saw new schedules came out. Can you please summarize the key changes in the new schedules that we should look at? For example, I noticed for the first time we have a train after the 1 PM mid-day train that is before 3 PM. This is an example of a key change I think would be best addressed here and perhaps in e-mail to help riders understand how VRE is improving service. Thanks.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the comment Walter.  We did a pretty lengthy intro today to cover most of the changes and the reasons why.  We'll take those comments and use them as part of a Train Talk to get the word out to those who may not have joined us for the Forum today.

   

   

   

• Brooke Station from Stafford, VA asks
  Two questions today. Will the schedule stay the same or will it change again as ridership increases? What is the status of the new station on the Fredericksburg line?

  VRE Response
  The goal of this schedule is to be able to incorporate additional service without another major change.  On the Fredericksburg Line, the major project underway is at the Quantico Station, which will be followed by the Potomac Shores station.  Check our website at https://projects.vre.org/list for updates on all projects, including time lapsed video for the projects currently in progress.

   

   

• Dave from Woodbridge, VA asks
  Just wondering why the new schedules are later times? A large number of people would like to be at work earlier. The VRE is a great service, but running trains later is quite confusing. Maybe add a stop for the 300 @ Rippon to appease this old cranky early riser.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the comment Dave. We used this opportunity to address many of the comments we've received over the past 6 years since our last schedule change.  We made the 300 earlier and the 314 later in the morning.  We also put the 303 earlier to spread the gap between 301 and 305, and make the 315 later for the afternoon service.  The changes are minimal but all in the right direction.

  The adjustments to some of the other trains has been necessary to make the entire rail corridor flow more smoothly by incorporating Amtrak and CSX trains in the mix.

  The final product will also allow us to add service without a major schedule change.

  We appreciate the feedback Dave.

   

• Sam from Manassas Park,Va asks
  What was the logic behind removing the Manassas line train 328 (6:49am) from the schedule? It's removal is adding an hour to my morning by having me at Crystal City an hour before I need to be there and messing up the morning schedule in my home. The new schedule means I'm at my desk either much too early (and I can't adjust my job's schedule and leave early my job has specific hours) or I'd always be late if I took the 7:35 train. This has really upset my household.

  VRE Response
  We apologize for the inconvenience Sam.  As mentioned earlier, the change is to help accommodate additional service, providing us a slot for use when we add a train.

   

• Quincy from Fredericksburg VA asks
  When will VRE get WiFi. I have taken Amtrack from Fred to DC and it is on that train

  VRE Response
  The Wifi service on Amtrak through our territory has the same challenges with connectivity we would experience.  Amtrak is willing to deal with the periodic loss of service because this is a small portion of their overall network.  For VRE, a significant portion of our territory on both lines would struggle with connectivity, so we do not want to provide a service until it can be top quality.

   

• Ravinder from Bristow va asks
  Love the new schedule. When are you adding WiFi ?

  VRE Response
  Glad you like the schedule change.  No update on WiFi though we continue to look for ways to offer a quality WiFi service.

• Sky from Nokesville, VA asks
  Hi! On the new schedule that will start on October 18th, the Manassas line has an hour gap between 328 and 330 in the morning and again in the afternoon between 329 and 331. This is peak rush hour. Why was this done?

  VRE Response
  Hi Sky, thanks for the question.  As we said in the opening, we tried to address many of the comments we received over the years about the current schedules while putting together a schedule which will allow for increased service.  The new schedule accomplishes both, but the additional service cannot begin immediately.  Stay tuned for updates on when we are ready to add service.

   

   

   

• TC from Fredericksburg asks
  First of all, thank you for the great services you've been providing during the pandemic. I got the memo about schedule changes - just a small ask: could you please make the new schedule a bit more printer-friendly? The printout doesn't come out right, and even the font size on the PDF is challenging to read. Thanks!

  VRE Response
  Thanks TC, we've got someone working on it now.  We appreciate the feedback.

   

   

Good afternoon and welcome to VRE’s Online Forum for October 2021.  It is hard to believe this is our 19^th Online Forum done from our virtual studio.  On the positive side, yesterday we saw the highest ridership numbers since the beginning of the pandemic.  We love seeing more folks out on the trains and look forward to the positive trend continuing.

The big news this week was the announcement of our schedule change which will take effect on October 18^th.  This schedule has been done in conjunction with Amtrak, CSX and the Commonwealth as part of the Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative.  These schedules have been designed to help minimize congestion on the railroad and provide the opportunity for VRE and Amtrak to add service.

While working on these schedules with the railroads we took the opportunity to address many of the comments we’ve received since our last major schedule change in November of 2015.  On the Fredericksburg Line, the number one request has been to schedule train 300 to depart earlier. In the afternoon, the request has been to move 303 earlier to better fill the gap between 301 and 305.  We have also been asked to make the last morning and evening trains (314 and 315) depart a little later.  These have all been addressed in the new schedule.

On the Manassas Line, the number one concern voiced to us has been 327 departing in the afternoon behind two Fredericksburg Line trains (303 and 305).  By moving 303 earlier, we were able put 327 between the two Fredericksburg Line trains with an earlier departure.  Like the Fredericksburg Line, the final trains in the morning and afternoon have been moved a little later, another frequent request.  The comments we have received since announcing the change are primarily focused on morning train 328.  328 was moved earlier so we now have 4 morning trains operating in the same window where the previous schedule had 3 trains.  The gap between 328 and 330 has increased by 10 minutes, but this allows a slot for us to add a train.  We do not yet have a confirmed date for the additional service, but we need to incorporate the space to add the train when we can.

We understand a new schedule creates convenience for some riders and challenges for others, but please understand the intent is to create a schedule to increase service for both VRE and Amtrak, and work in conjunction with our host railroads to improve reliability.  Please continue to forward your comments on the schedule in case there is an opportunity to make small adjustments in the future.

Now let’s get on to the questions….