VRE is required by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) to prepare/update and adopt a Transit Development Plan (TDP) every six years as a condition of receiving state funding. The FY2020 - FY2025 TDP was adopted by the VRE Operations Board in February 2019. The salient points of the TDP were presented to the VRE Operations Board in November 2018. This briefing and the TDP document as well as the executive summary and appendices can be downloaded below.
The Transit Development Plan (TDP) provides an overview of all major VRE projects and initiatives. 
It highlights VRE’s short-term priorities as well as aspirations and constraints for the longer term. This TDP encompasses two timeframes:
- A six-year (FY2020 - FY2025) fiscally-constrained plan that documents the funded projects and programmed initiatives; and
- A fiscally-unconstrained plan (FY2026 - FY2029) identifying proposed projects as well as current and longer-term unmet capital and operating needs. The fiscally-unconstrained plan affords an opportunity to connect ongoing and planned improvements to the aspirations outlined in the System Plan 2040.
The TDP outlines four types of service needs that exist today and are expected to increase in the future. The needs are: expanded train capacity, adjusted train times, more frequent service and attracting new riders in accordance with the long-range vision for the system. These needs are being addressed to the extent possible by lengthening trains in the near term, while funding is being sought for capital projects and operations to allow VRE to add new trains in the future.
FY2020 – FY2025 Fiscally Constrained Plan
In this timeframe, VRE addresses the need for additional seats by adding cars to existing trains. VRE’s short-term service goal is to extend Fredericksburg Line trains to 8-car trains. Funding to acquire the requisite 11 coaches, including spares, has been awarded from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s SmartScale program. On the Manassas Line, trains will be extended to 10 cars with funding for 10 coaches awarded through the I-66 Outside the Beltway Concessionaire Payment. Yard expansions to accommodate the additional coaches are funded through the same sources.
The FY2020 – FY2025 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) also includes station, parking, and storage yard expansion projects as well as the acquisition of rolling stock mentioned above. Given current cost estimates, full funding of the projects in the FY2020 – FY2025 CIP will require approximately $813.5 million, of which $703.7 million (86.5%) is already committed.
FY2026 – FY2029 Fiscally Unconstrained Plan
A capacity analysis indicates that anticipated demand in FY2030 for the Fredericksburg Line is expected to exceed seat capacity even if all trains are lengthened to ten cars. On the Manassas Line, the busiest trains already have eight cars. The analysis showed that extending these consists to ten cars would be adequate to meet forecasted demand in FY 2030.
The VRE Operations Board has decided to limit capacity expansion to lengthening existing trains until sufficient sources of operating and capital funding are in place. In 2018, the Commonwealth of Virginia established the Commuter Rail Operating and Capital (C-ROC) fund, a dedicated funding source for VRE, that begins to address the financial need. Additional revenue sources will be pursued, informed by the financial analysis currently underway. An update to the System Plan 2040 will develop a long-term service plan and companion financial component that identifies enough operating support and funding for capital infrastructure requirements. This TDP recommends incremental service plan modifications to achieve the long-term plan.
Last updated: 2/22/2019