September

• Kevin from Fairfax asks
  Hi, I was very appreciative when VRE decided to extend the expiration date on my tickets. Any plans to do extend the expiration of tickets again?

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question Kevin.  Any type of ticket exchange or refund is handled on an individual basis based on each person's circumstances.  In general though, making exceptions to extend a ticket or issue a replacement would normally be a one-time occurrence. If you find you have more tickets approaching their expiration, our suggestion would be to stop purchasing new tickets until all of your current tickets are utilized. Please give us a call at 703-684-1001, or reach out through gotrains@vre.org and we'll see if we can assist.

• Dave from Woodbridge asks
  Will train schedules be changed anytime in the near future? Will additional trains be added over the next year?

  VRE Response
  We will be adjusting schedules later this month to enhance our existing service and accommodate potential additional service in the future. These changes will also affect Amtrak operating through our service area. No estimate yet on when the additional trains will be added, but we will let everyone know well in advance.

• Monica from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Why is there not adequate signage in the Quiet Cars? There used to be signs posted at a lot of the windows. It appears they have all disappeared. I ride from Spotsylvania to Union Station. I usually like to sleep or decompress after work. I moved to Virginia right before the pandemic. I have been riding the train throughout this pandemic and ridership was very low for a long time. Now that volume has picked up, people are coming into the Quiet Car and they are anything but quiet. There is a lot of talking on phones, conversing with other passengers, watching online content, etc. I don't think individuals are deliberately being noisy. There is inadequate signage and people don't know that they are in a Quiet Car most times. The conductors have asked that they be notified of problem, rather than addressing fellow passengers. And I must say they are very helpful when they are aware of problem. But I think better signage would help with keeping the Quiet Cars quiet.

  VRE Response
  Thanks Monica for passing along your concern. We will have the mechanical operations team review to see if we can get adequate signage placed inside the quiet cars. 

• Betty from Manassas asks
  Thank you for returning the trains back to normal schedule. Your decision is really helping me get my life back to normal

  VRE Response
  We're glad to be back Betty and happy it is working for you. Tell all your friends!

• David from Federicksburg VA asks
  Why does your service calendar, on your opening web page, show normal service on Labor Day, Monday, September 6?

  VRE Response
  Hi David, thanks for pointing it out, we have someone working to update it now. VRE will not operate on Monday, regular service will resume on Tuesday.

• Tom from Manassas asks
  I have a 31-day ticket purchased through the app. Once purchased, why does the app have to reconnect to display it...isn't it downloaded into the phone?

  VRE Response
  The ticket is downloaded to the phone when purchased.  It does not need to connect for you to display the ticket for the conductor's inspection.

• Dave from Manassas asks
  Can we get the air-dampers closed in the cars when departing Union station in the afternoon? Since the locomotive is leading the way, the diesel-exhaust gets pretty heavy inside during the 4 minutes we spend in the tunnel. Thanks!

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question Dave. Conductors are required to close the dampers upon departing Union Station until they clear the tunnel.  If you notice this not to be the case, please give us a call or email at gotrains@vre.org with the specific train info and we'll address it with the crew.  In the meantime, we'll mention it in the job briefings tomorrow morning as a reminder for all crews.

Good Afternoon, welcome to the September 2021 version of VRE’s Online Forum.  Joining us today are the normal cast of characters from Keolis, Amtrak, CSX and of course VRE.  We’re ready for a great round of Q&A.

We do have some exciting news, a schedule change will be coming later in September.  Working in conjunction with Amtrak, CSX, and Norfolk Southern we will be changing our schedules slightly to prepare for the growth associated with the Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative.  This effort has allowed us to make a few changes which have been requested by passengers over the years and we look forward to being able to share all the details with you shortly.

As a reminder, questions for the Online Forum may be submitted as early as 6:00 pm the day before the Forum and if you cannot stay with us for the duration, you can check our archive of answered questions at https://www.vre.org/about/online-forum/

Let’s get on to the questions!