January

• Jane from Richmond, VA asks
  Why are there currently no plans to extend VRE service to Richmond, VA?

  VRE Response
  Our current System Plan is going through an update process. As such, analyzing potential extensions beyond our current service area is on the table. We will push out additional information on this topic later in the calendar year. 

   

• Elizabeth from Fairfax, VA asks
  If possible, please bring back the paper foldout schedules that used to be available on the trains. I was able to pick up a few at the last meet the management event. I find them very useful and hope you bring copies to future events as well. Thanks.

  VRE Response
  Thanks Elizabeth for the comment.  The conductors should have copies of the pocket schedules available for anyone who asks.  We'll make sure everyone has enough copies on the train and we'll have them at any of our in-person events.

   

• Steve from Lorton, Virginia asks
  Yesterday the 302 was held at a stop signal for about 15 minutes. Why was no effort made to make up any of that time along the route?

  VRE Response
  We apologize for the delay Steve.  There were a lot of trains on the railroad yesterday which were out of their normal slots.  Our train schedules are set to be realistic given track speed and station stops. Even with a clear railroad, we cannot exceed track speed to make up time.  We may occasionally skip a station in an effort to relieve congestion by increasing the space between trains, but that was not an option yesterday with the other traffic on the railroad.

• Sean from Spotsylvania, VA asks
  With the changes in work/commute patterns, has there been any discussion with the City of Fredericksburg about removing the City residency requirement to park in Lot B? It doesn't seem right that Spotsy/Stafford residents are forced to park blocks away from the station while there are regularly ample open spots as 314 is leaving.

  VRE Response
  We'll be happy to reach out to the city, but lately we've seen very few open spots in Lot B.

• Al from Burke, VA asks
  The new ticket machine at the Rolling Road VRE station that is to the far right when looking at the station from the parking lot is not accepting paper tickets for validation in the ticket slot. Can we have someone check it out? Thanks!

  VRE Response
  Will do Al.  Thanks for the feedback.

• David from Manassas, VA asks
  Crystal City Station continues to experience speaker issues. No approaching train announcements are played , or are very distorted. This issue has been reported to Gotrains several times.

  VRE Response
  David, we sent an IT staff member to the Crystal City station again this morning. He made some adjustments in the system and tested, so should be good now.  If you still experience an issue, please let us know at gotrains@vre.org, and put Online Forum in the subject.  Thanks for the heads up.

• Marcf from Brooke asks
  Is it possible to get the stop lines repainted in the parking lot; especially the main entrance and exit. I park in the first row as you enter the parking lot and when I go to leave, everyone that parks closer to the tracks just blows through the stop leading out of the parking lot.

  VRE Response
  We'll ask our Facilities Manager to add this to his list of post-winter projects. 

• Paul from Fredericksburg asks
  When will Fred commuter buses start picking up passenger to take to train station again?

  VRE Response
  We have reached out to FXBGO! to see if they have a date for the return of the feeder route service. No response yet.

• Paul from Spotsylvania asks
  Why is there not an express train going south in the evening?

  VRE Response
  Fredericksburg Line train 300 makes a limited stop run first thing in the morning so we can get it out on the railroad and clear of 302 following closely behind.  In the morning, we have 8 trains traveling north and with most of the earliest riders being from the southern jurisdictions, 300 allows us to ensure seat availability on the following trains for the jurisdictions towards the north end of our service area.

  On southbound trips, we provide a midday train which is popular for those who need to get home early, but generally has fairly low ridership.  That leaves only 7 trains to bring back the remaining riders so we choose to make every train available for all riders instead of limiting the opportunities for those in the northern jurisdictions.

   

• Ravinder from Bristow va asks
  How about VRE switch to DMU- Diesel Multiple Units- type trains - more efficient, fast and pretty slick

  VRE Response
  From Wikipedia:

  In the United States, DMU systems must be FRA-compliant to be permitted on freight rail corridors. The Federal Railway Administration has mandated higher coupling strength requirements than European regulators, effectively prohibiting the use of lighter weight European-style inter-city rail DMUs on U.S. main line railways without timesharing with freight operations or special waivers from the FRA. This has greatly restricted the development of DMUs within the U.S. as no other country requires the much heavier FRA compliant vehicles, and no export market for them exists.

Good afternoon and welcome to the first Online Forum of 2023.  We hope everyone had a great holiday season and will enjoy a happy, healthy new year.

Joining us in the studio here at VRE HQ we have representatives from Keolis Mechanical and Operations, Amtrak, CSX, and an assortment of VRE staff to help answer your questions.

We have a busy year planned for 2023 including many opportunities to meet with riders in person both at stations and on the trains.  We look forward to being able to answer many of your questions and comments in person, but we’ll also be here for you each month for the Online Forum.

Let’s kick off the new year with a great round of questions!