Rail Transit in Virginia

[urbanvb]

It's great to see rail is progressing so nicely. Both NC and VA seem to be intent about extending high speed rail from DC to Richmond to Raleigh and beyond. One great thing for our region (Hampton Roads? Norf/VB ? ) is it will link us better with the rest of the state and hopefully lessen the 'cul de sec' mentality that we now seem to suffer from.

[lammius]

Looking at the maps, however, it does appear Norfolk-VB will be at the end of a passenger rail cul-de-sac too.

One thing that is IMPERATIVE is that high-speed rail to Norfolk or Newport News MUST be able to maintain at least some one-seat service to New York. If the trip is broken up in DC or Richmond you're talking about anxiety over catching connections, potentially delayed layovers, and a discomfort of discontinuity on a trip. The AMTRAK regionals from New York to Newport News are awesome. I won't take a trip that requires a switch in DC. If the high-speed would have the same or better level of service for those types of routes it would be great!

[kosage]

I haven't heard much of light rail on the peninsula lately. But Newport News has already designated certain areas along the CSX rail to be made into light rail stations. One of those proposed stations is right next to Bland Blvd and the CSX rail. I drive past this area almost everyday. The area has been completely cleared and there is always some trucks over there doing something. Whatever they are doing, it seems to be going very slowly. Anyone have any information on this site?

[rusthebuss]

I haven't heard much of light rail on the peninsula lately. But Newport News has already designated certain areas along the CSX rail to be made into light rail stations. One of those proposed stations is right next to Bland Blvd and the CSX rail. I drive past this area almost everyday. The area has been completely cleared and there is always some trucks over there doing something. Whatever they are doing, it seems to be going very slowly. Anyone have any information on this site?

Newport News is in the very early stages. About where Norfolk was in 1994. So you are looking about 10-15 years before they can come close to getting approved. I think if the 3rd crossing was up and they were working with Norfolk to attach it would go faster. What I wished had happened is that the cities here weren't competing with each other for the federal funds. They should have made a regional stab at it. There could have been a larger starter rail. It would have been one entity going for the federal funds. Now if Vabeach goes for the funds NN will have to compete with them.

[urbanfan]

I haven't heard much of light rail on the peninsula lately. But Newport News has already designated certain areas along the CSX rail to be made into light rail stations. One of those proposed stations is right next to Bland Blvd and the CSX rail. I drive past this area almost everyday. The area has been completely cleared and there is always some trucks over there doing something. Whatever they are doing, it seems to be going very slowly. Anyone have any information on this site?

Actually what you are seeing is the city dragging there feet. That area is where the future extension of middle ground blvd. will cut through. The project was put on hold because of a lack of funding from the state. However, Newport News, is considering its options to build without federal funding because the need for the road is very great. The road would extend from the other side of Jefferson and cut right between Port Warwick and the University Suites and will elevate over the train tracks and dump into Warwick Blvd., creating a better connection to CNU. Light rail for Newport News is well behind Norfolk, in fact we are still in the early environmental impact statement. We still have to finish that, go the the feds to get approval to start the final environmental impact statement and a favorable rating to continue, which in this area could be hard because of how less dense the whole area is. Then we have to go back to the government to get approval to start final design and hope that we can get funding when several other large cities more densely populated are looking for funding also. Trust me, rail on the peninsula will be an uphill battle and ultimately might only come to fruition if we as residents are willing to pay for it and not try to get federal funding. However, if the light rail does get approved it would eventually run the CSX tracks and then turn onto Middle Ground Blvd towards CIty Center. That is why it is important to get Middle Ground built first.

[kosage]

I just wanted to make a correction because I think you misunderstood me. I had asked about the work going on right next to the Bland Blvd bridge (which isn't near the proposed Middle Ground extention). I do know that Middle Ground extention will connect all the way to Maxwell Rd that would intersect at Warwick Blvd. But that's almost next to CNU. Bland Blvd. goes straight into the Williamsburg/NN airport. I'm trying to figure out what's going on in this area (Bland Blvd), not the Middle Ground extention area. Out of all the proposed light rail stations they have for Newport News, it seems the only proposed area that is seeing any action at all is at the Bland Blvd bridge. I've been down in Port Warwick several times and the proposed light rail station at this point doesn't have anything going on even though I completely agree with you that light rail in our area might be contingent on Middle Ground Blvd, or at the very least...very important. So I hope I could clear that up. Now, back to the question...what's going on at Bland Blvd? I appreciate your info and patience.

[urbanfan]

I just wanted to make a correction because I think you misunderstood me. I had asked about the work going on right next to the Bland Blvd bridge (which isn't near the proposed Middle Ground extention). I do know that Middle Ground extention will connect all the way to Maxwell Rd that would intersect at Warwick Blvd. But that's almost next to CNU. Bland Blvd. goes straight into the Williamsburg/NN airport. I'm trying to figure out what's going on in this area (Bland Blvd), not the Middle Ground extention area. Out of all the proposed light rail stations they have for Newport News, it seems the only proposed area that is seeing any action at all is at the Bland Blvd bridge. I've been down in Port Warwick several times and the proposed light rail station at this point doesn't have anything going on even though I completely agree with you that light rail in our area might be contingent on Middle Ground Blvd, or at the very least...very important. So I hope I could clear that up. Now, back to the question...what's going on at Bland Blvd? I appreciate your info and patience.

Well, previously there were plans to create on and off ramps for the highway there, however, I thought that project was delayed on account of no money from the state. If its right on the rail bed than its probably just csx doing maintenance. But as far as light rail, that construction has nothing to do with it. Light rails is a decade away at least.

[kosage]

No, this is something much bigger than maintainance. They have cleared a huge area here. I don't know if you live in this area, but I think you should drive by there to see what I'm talking about. That's the only way I think I could convince you that it's something bigger. You would have to be driving on Bland Blvd towards Jefferson Blvd to get a decent look at it if you chose to take a look.

[wrldcoupe4]

Amtrak is considering cutting one of 2 daily trains from Newport News to Richmond, leaving only 1 trip daily for Williamsburg and Newport News, according to news reports..

[Noneck_08]

Amtrak is considering cutting one of 2 daily trains from Newport News to Richmond, leaving only 1 trip daily for Williamsburg and Newport News, according to news reports..

That really is sad news. They are probley trying to cut the Twilight Limited or the such. It's an overnighter on the route. I beleve they tried to cut it a couple years back also.

[wrldcoupe4]

Times-Dispatch: Amtrak to Cut Service?

There's the article.

[orulz]

The trains are selling out, and they're talking about cancelling the route? Of course it's not profitable, but this isn't one of the money-bleeding long distance services that the conservatives in control of Amtrak are after.

To me, this looks like a ploy to get Virginia to foot the bill for the regional service between Richmond and Newport News. Since Virginia hasn't stepped up to the plate yet (as Pennsylvania and North Carolina have, for example) the new Amtrak board of trustees probably wants to put their feet to the fire.

The revision would eliminate a key seven-day-a-week service linking Newport News, Williamsburg, Main Street Station and Washington. In all, Amtrak would cut 14 trains from the current 29 serving the corridor.

It looks like under this plan, the Peninsula would see only two trains per day on Saturday - Thursday, and four per day on Friday. There are six per day now on Friday (three BOS-NPN, two NPN-BOS, and one NPN-RVR) and four on other days (two BOS-NPN, two NPN-BOS.)

[mercuex]

Well maybe if someone were actually serious about making Amtrak profitable ... not impossible, you know. Kind of the point of trains. Well ... maybe under it's current administration.

[burt]

Well maybe if someone were actually serious about making Amtrak profitable ... not impossible, you know. Kind of the point of trains. Well ... maybe under it's current administration.

Surfing the Virginia pages today and came upon this dated story. In the end, Amtrak service was NOT curtailed between Richmond ) and Newport News. There still are four trains daily (5 on Fridays).

[beltwayboy08]

The trains are selling out, and they're talking about cancelling the route? Of course it's not profitable, but this isn't one of the money-bleeding long distance services that the conservatives in control of Amtrak are after.

the trains are like cattle cars. they are so full, people dont even have seats. thats how far BEHIND they are.them as full as they are, shows they are having trouble.

[vdogg]

Build rail now

This is an editorial about the need for light rail in Virginia.

[jeffconn]

Quite a bit of news and speculation about new rail service in VA recently. Apologies if this is old news for anybody.

New Rail Route Through Charlottesville is Funded

http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news...s/40136542.html

Looks like a northeast regional line that ended in Washington will extend through Charlottesville and terminate in Lynchburg on a daily basis. Funding will start after July 1. Amtrak stations that are on this route include: Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, and Alexandria.

If, and this is a BIG IF, the state of Virginia decides to fund more stops, there are a few incorporated towns and cities on the route that would benefit from an Amtrak stop: Amherst, Orange, Remington, Manassas Park.

[jeffconn]

In this article, it talks about VRE adding another morning train to ease congestion on the Fredericksburg line.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/02...02212009/447584

Also, deep in the article, it mentions the new Washington-Lynchburg Amtrak line, and also a daily Washington-Richmond Amtrak train that Virginia is funding.

[cpeakesqr]

Sen. Webb had put something in the omnibus spending bill, which may be scrapped, about VRE rolling stock. I think it's like $5,000,000.

[varider]

link

Article On PilotOnline about the lack of Amtrak service in Hampton Roads.

For visitors who arrive or depart our seaside resort via Amtrak, this is their view of Virginia Beach.

Locals laugh at Amtrak. In Hampton Roads, Amtrak is so nonexistent, so forgettable that the arrival and drop-off points in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, where buses bring riders to and from the train station on the Peninsula, don't even merit signage.

When I originally showed up Tuesday and asked if I was in the right place, if I was indeed at the Amtrak "station," one HRT rider told me Amtrak hadn't been in Virginia Beach for 20 years and when it was here, it was two blocks down. In Norfolk, a city employee pointed me toward the end of the block near the York Street Parking Garage, but then told me she wasn't sure.

Along the East Coast, Amtrak is a dependable and mildly popular way to get from here to there. Across Virginia, it is a legitimate form of transportation with more than a million riders, up more than 5 percent over a year ago. Nationally, ridership has increased for each of the past six years.

It's just that here, it feels like we missed the train. Which makes sense. There are no tracks. No station either. Just two curbside drop-off points in Norfolk and the Beach. Smaller areas such as Clifton Forge, Culpeper, Danville, Springfield, Lynchburg and a list of other, less-populated regions all have better service./quote]

[varider]

Editorial in the Pilot. link

"With the Tide under construction in Norfolk and new interest in the project from Virginia Beach, 2009 will be a defining year for light rail in Hampton Roads. But there's another opportunity racing toward the region: a chance to connect to a national high-speed rail system."

[spiker3]

Editorial in the Pilot. link

"With the Tide under construction in Norfolk and new interest in the project from Virginia Beach, 2009 will be a defining year for light rail in Hampton Roads. But there's another opportunity racing toward the region: a chance to connect to a national high-speed rail system."

Bob McDonnell mentioned this in his kick-off speech yesterday in Hampton Roads, he is a firm proponent backing connection of HR to Richmond via HSR

[mlsimons]

I just got back from an APA (American Planners Association) and they had a private consultant present the proposal for a downtown Newport News station around 33rd st. The main focus was the urban rivalization efforts surrounding the station. They hope to encourage a form of TOD and new urbanist lifestyle around the historic streetgrid.

[cpeakesqr]

Would an HSR expansion come straight from Newport News or would it take another route?

[mlsimons]

Would an HSR expansion come straight from Newport News or would it take another route?

They said they can increase the speed to around 90mph for the Richmond to Newport News route but because it shares track with slow moving CSX they cannot make it much faster, nor can they electrify the tracks.

The question among planners, would it be best to go for the new Newport News route, or take the route down 460 and through Bowers Hill eventually terminating at Harbor Park.

Both have their pros and cons....the 460 route is a little longer but it can go much faster and spur back on the eastcoast corridor around Petersburg, the tracks can be electrified and go up to 150mph (maybe even more one day). But this route completely skips the Peninsula and Williamsburg. However, one could argue that LRT will one day connect the Peninsula to Harbor Park meaning thats not a problem that HSR doesn't have a peninsula stop.

As much as I want to see downtown Newport News revitalized around the new HSR Amtrak station, I would rather see Harbor Park become the central transit point both locally and regionally. I think its much better to have one central location!