May

• S from Fredericksburg asks
  Why and when did the schedule going south to Fredericksburg change? It's 10 minutes earlier - used to be 4:18 now it 4:08 - a much longer wait time if you miss it . With metros having delays it just seems illogical

  VRE Response
  The schedule changed October 18th, 2021 in coordination with CSX and Amtrak.  The schedules are designed to help keep network fluidity as well as position VRE to add frequency and capacity over time.

• Adam from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  There's been some discussion about VRE operating on weekends. Is that going to happen anytime soon and if so, what would that schedule look like?

  VRE Response
  Adding weekend service is part of our long range plan. The current timeline we are working to is 2026. This is contingent upon completion of planned additional infrastructure improvements, currently in various phases, throughout the rail corridor. VRE is collaborating on these projects with CSX and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA). 

• Bonnie from Burke asks
  Good morning, are there any plans to add an additional train to the afternoon Manassas line between the 329 and 331 - an hour is a long time to wait. thank you!

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question Bonnie.  Our schedules have been designed to allow us to operate in the network which includes both freight and Amtrak passenger trains.  While future planned infrastructure improvements across the entire VRE territory will allow us to add capacity and frequency, we have no immediate plans for a specific time slot.

• Raj from Lorton VA asks
  Good morning, I will be returning to work for the first time in two years this Friday and was wondering if the Fredericksburg morning trains have opened up all seats to passengers or is seating still limited? How can I tell which seats are available and which ones are not? Thank You.

  VRE Response
  Hi Raj, welcome back!

  All seats are available on all trains, so sit anywhere you like.

• Terry from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Will the Amtrak Step-Up program be resuming? It was an important feature augmenting the service provided by the VRE. For example, some days you need to take an earlier train to get home for a family emergency. Thank you.

  VRE Response
  The Amtrak Step will resume at some point, we just do not have a definite date yet.

• Dave from Manassas asks
  We seem to have ongoing struggles with communications. Although it's been well-advertised that there will schedule impacts this month, we were greeted at the Manassas station this morning with an announcement that we'd be loading on track 2 and that we should load from the "far-platform". Frankly, there was confusion all around since the "far platform" isn't very clear....far from WHAT exactly? Using the station as a base, it COULD be the platform in front of the parking garage, and most folks aren't aware of any OTHER platforms used by the VRE. Finally, some folks spread the news that it was the platform in front of the pavilion (which of course has no indication of a relative-position name, such as "far platform"). Finally, ONE door was used to load the train, and of course any later arrivals to the station had NO chance of boarding at all. Poor communications all around, especially since I get an email EVERY morning at 0430 letting me know about the schedule change, and another about Rolling Road ramps and stairs. Come on, VRE, do better.

  VRE Response
  Fair point Dave.  We apologize for any confusion.  Multiple announcements were made 10 minutes prior to the train's arrival at the station and station camera's were observed to make sure riders did make it to the far platform by the pavilion. Had any rider arrived late, because tracks were protected by the dispatcher, rider's could have been boarded on the road crossing if needed. That said, we'll address this with the staff who send the messages to make sure it is more clear, especially at Manassas where the Track 2 platform is so seldom used.  We appreciate the feedback.

• Larry from Quantico VA asks
  2 Heat restriction questions-- I know heat restrictions are imposed because of safety but what is the reason that CSX puts them on when other companies don't. Someone told me its because CSX put the tracks down differently so they are more likely to warp- Is that what the worry is? Second Question-And who makes the decision-yesterday they were put on when it was 72 degrees and there wasn't much temperature variation in the afternoon temperatures .

  VRE Response
  Great questions Larry, and very timely.  Heat related speed restrictions are put in place by the host railroads, as you mentioned, as a safety precaution.  We did an article back in 2014 on delays, including heat orders which you can view here.  We need to update the article since we focused primarily on ambient temperature as the main driver, but that is not always the case.  Some of the other factors which go into the decision include the rate of change in temperature over a short period of time and the amount of rail traffic on the network.  The heat resulting from the friction created by steel wheels on steel rail by long, heavy freight trains can increase the potential impact of warmer air temperatures.  Each railroad makes it's own determination on when the conditions are present to warrant the speed restrictions on certain areas of track.  In our territory, this generally means speed restrictions on the CSX railroad, usually between 1 pm and 7 pm. 

  We have found that most trains can stay on time despite the speed restrictions as far down as Rippon, but begin accumulating delay minutes the further south we go.  To help passengers have a realistic expectation of when they will arrive at their destination station when heat orders are in effect, we implemented a seasonal schedule a couple of years ago.  This adjusts the scheduled times at stations from Quantico south to Spotsylvania for the Fredericksburg Line trains.  The schedules take effect the day after Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day, when heat orders are most likely.

  Thanks for the questions.

   

Good afternoon and welcome to the May 2022 edition of the Online Forum.  It is great to see more familiar faces back on the trains as well as quite a few new riders. 

We had a great outreach event in Fredericksburg on Sunday for the Great Train Race event.  Part of our return of ridership program is to get out into the local communities as much as possible to see both existing riders and potential new riders.  You’ll see us out at many locations over the next few months at Commuter Fairs, Farmer’s Markets, Festivals and other events.  If you see us, please stop by and say hello.

As our Manassas Line riders are aware, Norfolk Southern has some extensive Maintenance of Way activities underway which is causing some delays.  The work is important to keep the railroad safe and to help improve the long-term reliability of our service.  We appreciate the patience as we reduced service to allow the crews to finish the work in a shorter period of time. We will get back to our regular schedule as quickly as possible.  Stay tuned to Train Talk for updates.

We have the regular group here to answer your questions including representatives from VRE, Keolis, CSX, and Amtrak.

Let’s get to the questions!