June

• Mike from 'PONAX! asks
  I would like to start riding my bike again, but I sold my folding bike. I have some anxiety about not getting on the train. Is VRE still going with a two-bikes-per train limit? Thanks.

  VRE Response
  Full size bikes are now permitted on every car of every train, so feel free to bring it on.

   

• Sean from Spotsylvania, VA asks
  Two questions: looking at the passenger utilization chart, what day of the week is the data taken from? The wording on the website implies Fridays, or is that just the date it's posted? Seems to me like Friday is the softest utilization day with many people WFH, working 4 10s, etc. Second question, using said data it seems like 301 consistently carries more passengers than 315 (about quadruple based on the latest data), but uses the smallest set. Can they swap sets with each other?

  VRE Response
  Good questions Sean.  First, the train utilization trends are calculated on a weekly basis based on the average of ridership on our peak days, Tuesday through Thursday.  The charts on the website are updated on Fridays.  Ridership patterns shift on weeks leading into a holiday weekend, or when there is a holiday during the week, so we stick to the data from weeks where ridership trends are more "normal".

  On the Fredericksburg Line, southbound trains 301 and 315 are almost always the two lowest ridership trains.  301 is still only at 20% capacity, so there is no need to put the longer set in that slot.  Having the longer train set or consist for 315 gives us a little more capacity throughout the remainder of the service window, in case it is needed.

• Dave from Fredericksburg asks
  To follow up on your response: WHEN will the manual update be performed?

  VRE Response
  Dave, our Director of IT is on the phone with the developer right now.

   

• Rob from Burke, VA asks
  I started taking VRE again into work after a long COVID-related hiatus. The train I used to take on the Manassas Line pre-COVID that brought me into L'Enfant Plaza a little before 8:00 AM appears to have been cancelled. Between the 328 and 330 trains there is a 1-hour gap. I start work at 8:00 so really miss that train. I emailed VRE about it and was told that it was stopped when ridership declined. Any plans to bring that back? Thanks!

  VRE Response
  Hi Rob, thanks for the question.  We had a new schedule take effect in October 2021 which changed some of the start times for specific trains.  We are still operating the same number of trains, but times have been adjusted to allow for future expansion as part of the Transforming Rail in Virginia program.  When we can implement an additional train, it will fall in the gap you mention.  Unfortunately, we just don't know yet when that train will be added.

• Dave from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  I have been using the mobile app for some time, now under IOS 15.5. Why does the app no longer show a schedule for either line? This question was posed earlier this week to GoTrains, with no response.

  VRE Response
  Hi Dave,

  As mentioned in the earlier comment from Adam, the schedule in the app should be updating automatically when a new schedule takes effect.  The app developer is investigating why this did not happen when we moved to our seasonal schedule.  They will manually run the update now to make sure the app is updated.

• Adam from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Do you plan to publish your seasonal schedule anywhere? The schedule on your website is outdated and the schedule function of your app is broken? This seems to me a reasonable request even if the staff manning the GoTrains email account does not. They would prefer each and every rider reach out to them individually with their destination for a custom and personalized result. This doesn't seem especially efficient or to be a good use of resources funded by our fares and federal, state, and local taxes. I think you can do better and look forward to the restoration of the schedule function in your app as soon as possible.

  VRE Response
  Thank you for the comments Adam. The website was updated yesterday prior to evening service to include  the adjustments for the specific Fredericksburg Line trains and stations affected.  We have asked our mobile developer to manually execute the script that pulls the schedule from our GTFS feed.  It should update in the app automatically when the schedule change occurs.  We will ask them to do a root cause analysis and propose a fix which will keep this from happening again.

  As explained in the Train Talk yesterday morning, the seasonal schedule is put in place between Memorial Day and Labor Day to help give more accurate arrival times at stations on the Fredericksburg Line from Quantico south.  Heat related speed restrictions slow the trains down during the summer, but delays generally only start accumulating once the trains depart Rippon.  We adjust the departure times at the other stations so passengers will have a reasonable expectation of when they will arrive in case they have a ride waiting or a tight schedule for other activities. You can see the seasonal adjustments here.

• Karen from Spotsylvania, VA asks
  Any idea of when the Amtrak Step-Up program will be reinstated? Thanks!

  VRE Response
  No definite time yet Karen, but it will happen.  We're working with our mobile developer and Amtrak to have step-up users appear on the Amtrak manifest, a new requirement for the program.  We will keep everyone posted once we know more.

   

• Keith from Manassas asks
  Love the VRE service. Just a quick note. When trains are in for maintenance maybe they can check the hydrolic door buttons between trains. In one or two they no longer work and have not for a while. The doors are quite heavy to manually pull open and with COVID better to not have to touch the handles if possible too. Thanks for a great service on VRE!

  VRE Response
  Thanks Keith, we'll have the mechanical crews check all cars, but if you can, please send specific details to us at Gotrains@vre.org, car number, north or south end...etc. we'll make sure we get the ones you're seeing. 

   

• Davin from Woodbridge, VA asks
  Why do southbound trains frequently have to crawl slowly from Potomac Yard past the Metro station under construction into Alexandria? There is no need to go so slow so far away from Alexandria station which delays us 5 minutes

  VRE Response
  Davin, trains can only operate based on the signals they receive.  If they are getting slow signals, it means there is either work crews or other trains in the area.

   

• Davin from Woodbridge, VA asks
  There has been news about the Washington Commanders Football team buying land in Woodbridge, VA for a new stadium. If that does happen, VRE will need to offer Sunday service to the games. Senators seems to be focused on extending Metro to Prince William County, when we should be focused on expanding VRE service

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the input Davin

   

• David from Woodbridge asks
  Just want to applaud the VRE. Operators/Engineers, Admin, Conductors, Maintenance etc. We appreciate all that you do and the safe transportation that all of you provide!!!

  VRE Response
  Thanks David, we'll share your kind words with the whole group!

   

• Gwen from Manassas asks
  There used to be a way in Train Talk to select just particular trains. Is that still possible, and if not, can it please be brought back? I don't really need to know about escalators out of order at Union at 5am, when I ride a 7am train to L'Enfant.

  VRE Response
  Hi Gwen,

  There are ways to limit which messages you receive.  Please reach out to us at gotrains@vre.org and we'll have someone work with you to set up the parameters you need.

   

• Elizabeth from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  I've seen a few emails about a schedule change to the Fredericksburg line for the duration of the summer to accomodate the heat restrictions. However, I have looked all over and cannot find an updated schedule. Can you shed some light on this?

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question Elizabeth.  The schedule adjustments are posted on our website, and the schedule posters at the stations show the adjustments.  In short, Fredericksburg Line trains 301, 303, 305, 307, 309, and 311 have different departure times at stations from Quantico south. You can see all the adjustments here.

   

• Sven from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Can the trees and brush at the back of Leeland parking lot be cut back? As one exits out, the trees/brush are partially blocking/overhanging the exit side.

  VRE Response
  Thanks Sven, we've shared your comments with our Facilities Manager.  He will work with the landscaping contractors to address your concerns.

   

   

• Amy from Burke, VA asks
  Will VRE consider moving the alerts system to a more customizable notification platform? The volume of alerts sent is quite high, but most passengers only need information on a single line and their origin/destination stations.

  VRE Response
  We are working on a new system right now Amy.  The alerts at the stations use our Variable Messaging System (VMS).  We started designing a new system as a proof of concept which is currently being utilized at the Fredericksburg and Alexandria stations in a joint effort with Amtrak.  The project to expand the new system to all of our stations is currently in the design phase.  In conjunction with the platform messaging, our goal will be to push the same messaging through the VRE Mobile app in a way where passengers can personalize the information they want to receive.  Stay tuned for updates as this project progresses.

   

• James from Fairfax Virginia asks
  Hello, after a month of schedule adjustments on the Manassas line can anything be done to improve performance at Union Station? First day back to the regular schedule and every train was delayed by 20-25 minutes. Signage was not updated and the Amtrak person had no information which trains would arrive or when.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the feedback James.  We shared your comments with Amtrak during our debrief this morning for yesterday's service.  There were some issues with a switch in the storage yard which caused our trains to come into the station out of their normal order.  This just complicated challenges they were already facing with congestion in the terminal.  Kim, the station manager from Amtrak who manages our service at Union Station is here with us for the forum and will address the communication challenges to help make sure the PIDS displays in the waiting area are updated in a timely manner.

   

Good afternoon and welcome to the June 2022 edition of the Online Forum. 

The Maintenance of Way effort which had been underway on the Manassas Line has been completed.  We really appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as this necessary work was done.  By making the schedule adjustments we did, the duration of the effort was shortened to about one half of the original estimated timeline.  The result is an even safer, more reliable railroad which should help us provide a more reliable and comfortable ride.

Summer is here and with the increasing temperatures comes heat related speed restrictions.  The seasonal schedule is now in effect on the Fredericksburg line.  This only affects the afternoon trains from 301 to 311 at the stations from Quantico south.  Station schedule posters have been updated as has the vre.org website.

The normal crowd is here to help answer your questions or respond to comments, so let’s get on to the questions.