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Northern Virginia Commuters Impacted by SafeTrack Surge #8 Can Instead Choose Virginia Railway Express

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (August 29, 2016). – As the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s eighth Metrorail safety surge hit the Northern Virginia area last weekend, the Virginia Railway Express stands ready to help commuters navigate their trips over the next two weeks.

Metro will be single-tracking along its Blue Line between Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street stations weekdays between August 27 and September 11. In addition, there will be no Rush+ Yellow Line service during this time. Metro expects extreme crowding and delays in each direction at those two impacted stations during Surge #8 and is encouraging riders to seek alternative forms of transportation. Since VRE and Metro are co-located at the Franconia-Springfield station with plentiful parking, Metro riders can easily utilize VRE’s Fredericksburg Line, especially if their final destination is near the VRE station in Alexandria, Crystal City, L’Enfant or Union Station. Visit VRE’s website for additional travel route options during Safetrack Surge #8.

“Our goal at VRE is to get people where they need to be in a safe, reliable, and comfortable manner and we’re happy to welcome Metrorail’s Blue line riders during Surge #8,” said VRE Chief Executive Officer Doug Allen. “We fully support Metro’s efforts during SafeTrack and are glad we are able to offer commuters an option while this work is occurring in Northern Virginia. While we anticipate many riders will resume their regular travel routines once their commutes are no longer impacted by SafeTrack work, we’re always happy to expose more people to VRE service and hopefully be remembered as a transportation option when they need one.”

Earlier this summer, VRE experience record ridership during SafeTrack Surges #3 and #4, which closed sections of the Blue and Yellow lines in Northern Virginia. For the first time in its 24-year history, VRE carried more than 100,000 passengers in a single week and experienced its highest single-day ridership (23,309 trips).

New VRE riders can be prepared for their trips by downloading the VRE Mobile app, the first of its kind for a transit system in the greater Washington area. The app allows customers to plan their routes and purchase their tickets directly on their smartphones. For even more convenience and flexibility, they are also able to validate their tickets on the app and completely bypass the Ticket Vending Machines. Those who download the app can also set up and utilize SmartBenefits for their fares.

SafeTrack Surge #9, scheduled to begin September 15 and last for 42 days, includes Orange Line single-tracking between Vienna and West Falls Church. VRE’s Manassas Line may be an option for some impacted by that surge.

About the Virginia Railway Express

Virginia Railway Express, the 10th largest commuter rail service in the U.S., is a partnership of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission. VRE’s mission is to provide safe, cost effective, accessible, reliable, convenient, and customer responsive commuter-oriented rail passenger service. It provides more than 4 million rides annually in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.  Visit www.vre.org for additional information.