On Thursday, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced it had purchased the Manassas Line from Norfolk Southern Corporation.
The purchase expands VPRA’s mission to promote and sustain passenger and commuter rail service in Virginia, officials said. The agreement, which has already received approval from VPRA’s Board of Directors, also provided VPRA access to Norfolk Southern’s main line in Christiansburg, part of a planned service expansion to the New River Valley.
“Together with Norfolk Southern, we have worked hard to put together an agreement that brings more service to Northern Virginia, new service to the New River Valley, and makes rail a strong part of Virginia’s future transportation mix,” DJ Stadtler, executive director of VPRA, said. “We look forward to furthering our partnership with them to develop passenger rail service that travels where Virginians want to go when they want to go.”
The purchase of the Manassas Line will help VPRA expand its Virginia Railway Express service into evenings and weekends. The move will also support VRE’s expansion from commuter rail service with limited morning and evening trains during the weekdays to a regional rail service. Additionally, access to the N-Line will give VPRA the ability to provide Virginians with Amtrak Virginia service to the new River Valley much sooner that planned and at a lower cost.
“This new agreement with Norfolk Southern allows passenger rail to reach Christiansburg years earlier and at a better location,” Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said. “It also includes the acquisition of the Manassas Line, which will provide tremendous value to the Commonwealth—particularly Northern Virginia—by not only supporting intercity rail, but also enabling VRE to implement night and weekend service to better meet customer demand. The deal achieves all of this while saving nearly $100 million. I commend Norfolk Southern for working closely with the Commonwealth to arrive at this much improved result.”