November

• Jeff from Bristow VA asks
  When will the new platform and pedestrian bridge to National Airport at Crystal City be completed?

  VRE Response
  The pedestrian walkway is an Arlington County project.  We will be building the new station platform to allow for the addition of the walkway when it is built, but we do not have an estimated timeline for the walkway itself.

   

• Shannon from Manassas asks
  Any chance a free day would be offered again before next summer?Thank you!

  VRE Response
  At this time there are no plans for a Fare Free Day in the upcoming months.

   

   

• Tom from Manassas, VA asks
  It's been over 3 weeks and the ticket machine outside the Manassas Station has not worked to validate tickets nor issue tickets. This has been told to conductors repeatedly.

  VRE Response
  We will follow up with our service technicians regarding the Manassas ticket machine issue.

• Mike from Ponax! asks
  Twenty years ago, a friend persuaded me to move to Fredericksburg after I got a job in DC. I thought he was nuts. It's so far away! Don't worry, he told me. There's a train. I've never regretted his advice and VRE is a big reason why. My job recently transitioned to all-remote, so I won't be riding regularly anymore. I just want to say thanks. Especially to the great people who have helped me through my commute over the past two decades.

  VRE Response
  Thanks Mike, we are sorry to see you go, but we're glad we were able to provide a solution for your commute.  We'll pass along your thanks to the crews and staff who make the service run.

   

   

• Paul from asks
  I know that leaf oil is historical fall discussion for VRE. I have been reading about new technology to use lasers to clean the tracks with good effectiveness. Have you looked into this at all? Metro North (NY/CT) is using it especially on their branch lines. (https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/22/metro-north-laser-train-meets-track-slime-and-wins/)

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the information Paul.  Our Chief Engineer has taken the information you've provided along with links in a couple other questions which were submitted, and will look for opportunities for VRE to work with the host railroads for a long-term solution. 

   

• Evette from asks
  are alternative forms of transportation available when the VRE is more than an hour delayed?

  VRE Response
  During disruptions which are expected to last a significant amount of time, we work with regional bus systems to provide transport for passengers back to their origination station.  Unfortunately, the need for buses generally occurs during their peak operation period so we generally have to wait for drivers to finish their primary routes before being re-tasked to VRE.

   

• Marc from Brooke asks
  When are the ticket prices expected to increase? When can we expect to see weekend service? When are you going to offer wifi? I have heard the same answer for 17 years, it is a poor answer; "when we can offer service for the entire trip". Amtrak can offer wifi and people don't complain about it, why can VRE?

  VRE Response
  Any fare increase approved would take effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year which is July, 2024. 

  We are also exploring limited service on Saturdays which could begin also during the next fiscal year, so sometime between July 2024 and June 2025.

  We have no current plans to add WiFi.  Amtrak trains do offer Wifi but they experience the same loss of signal through our territory.  The difference is our territory is just a small part of their overall network, so they can accept short disruptions.  For VRE, the challenges with signal would impact a large part of our territory, meaning a substandard product for our passengers.  We continue to look for improvements in technology, but have no current plans to implement a WiFi solution.

   

• Evette from Richmond, VA asks
  will internet access we available on the VRE by 2025?

  VRE Response
  Only if technology improves to a point where we could eliminate the large areas with no signal we currently experience.

• Evette from Richmond VA asks
  are there any plans for stops south of Spottsy?

  VRE Response
  No plans as of right now, but the state sponsored Amtrak trains provide a convenient option.

   

• Dave from Stafford, VA asks
  Train 310 regularly enters L'Enfant extremely slowly. Most times a peek out the front car's window indicates there's nothing blocking the station or within eyesight beyond it. This doesn't happen at the earlier stations. Why the creep?

  VRE Response
  There is a signal at the end of the L'Enfant station platform, so if there is congestion ahead between L'Enfant and Union Station or in the terminal at Union Station, the engineer may be getting a slow signal on his/her approach.

   

   

• Theo from Spotsylvania VA asks
  Could you please ask the Conductors (generalized) to limit the amount of cologne they use? I really don't want to call-out the Conductor who's heavy-handed because he's very professional and nice, but the amount of cologne he wears is unbearable. Thanks again for the service!

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the comment Theo, we've shared this with the Keolis management team.

   

• Davin from Woodbridge, Virginia asks
  There appears to be an abandoned car in the Woodbridge parking garage. It is a black Nissan Altima going to the second level with no license plate.

  VRE Response
  Thanks. We will have someone look into this. 

   

   

• Joshua from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  Any word from Quantico on restarting the shuttle to the west side of I-95?

  VRE Response
  We know our planners have been asked to provide ridership data to the base as they look for options to improve circulation on base, but have not heard of any specific date for the base shuttle to resume service.

   

• Dave from Fredericksburg, Virginia asks
  What is being done to reinstate the Amtrak Step-Up Program?

  VRE Response
  We have an active project underway with Amtrak which will enable our passengers to purchase the step-up tickets and have their name transferred to Amtrak's ride reserve system so it appears on the train's manifest.  This is a new requirement.  We will let you know when this work is complete and the program can be re-instated.

   

• Davin from Woodbridge, Virginia asks
  Why is the Saturday service proposal limited to only 3 trains? That is way too limited. MARC operates more than 3 trains on Saturday.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question. The current proposal, subject to final agreement with our host railroads and other stakeholders, is an attempt to test the market to see if this is a viable service for VRE. 

   

   

• Jay from Fredericksburg, VA asks
  I commute everyday from Fredericksburg VA to Washington DC. I pick up my monthly ticket from the vendor 7-11 in Fredericksburg 7 out of the last 12 months the ticket sign roster was not available. This causes me to purchase a round trip ticket for the first and sometimes the second day before the allocation benefits are available at this location. Can the benefit allocation be available at least 2 days before the start of the new month? What options do I have rather than shelling out additional cash? Thanks

  VRE Response
  The lists for the vendor locations are delivered on the 23rd or 24th of the previous month. If the 23rd falls on a Friday, we deliver the list on the following Monday.  There should always be at least a day or two to purchase your monthly ticket in advance.  If you arrive at the vendor location and are told the list is not available, please call our office at 703-684-1001 and we will help resolve the issue.

   

   

• Davin from Woodbridge,, Virginia asks
  Any news on when the new train status map and updated mobile app are coming out? You could send out push alerts when their is a delay. The Google At A Glance widget on Android phones used to show train is arriving, but they removed that feature and it was hoped they would bring it back.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question, Davin. We are close to updating the VRE Mobile with a new version of the status map and alert system.  We will send out a notification when the update becomes available.

   

• Evette from RVA asks
  is there any way to inform riders the track has changed sooner? Franconia/Springfield has about 70 steps total during a track change. some of us need more than 3 minutes to get down the platform, up 4 flights of stairs, across the bridge, down four flights of stairs. if not earlier notification is not an option, can a horn or something that notifies the conductor we are in route to the train from the other platform be installed? some riders are in wheelchairs and need to ride the elevator which takes much longer than the walk.

  VRE Response
  Thanks for the question Evette. We put the messaging into the system as soon as we know which may not be until after a southbound train has departed Alexandria.  The train conductors know to wait until everyone has had an opportunity to cross.  If you have missed a train due to a late track change, please forward the specific information to us at gotrains@vre.org and we will address it with the specific crews.

   

Good afternoon and welcome to the Virginia Railway Express Online Forum for November 2023.

The whole gang is gathered here to answer your questions including representatives from Keolis, CSX, Amtrak and the VRE staff.

Let’s get to the questions!