Va. transportation board approves railway sale to support Southwest Va. passenger rail expansion

Virginia Department of Transportation in Richmond, Va. (Parker Michels-Boyce for The Virginia Mercury)

On Tuesday, Virginia reached another stop towards expanding passenger rail by authorizing the sale of the Virginian Line to Norfolk Southern Railway Company, for $54 million.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board authorized the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to sell approximately 28 miles of track back to Norfolk Southern. By state law, the board is required to consider approving the sale of any property valued in excess of $5 million.

The transportation board approved VPRA’s amended capital budget, which includes an increase from $433 million to $487 million for the expansion of passenger rail to Christiansburg. The money stems from existing funds in VPRA’s nearly $6 billion capital budget.

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According to VPRA, the capital funds will help cover the purchase of the Manassas Line and infrastructure improvements in Roanoke to accommodate more trains and rights to run passenger service on Norfolk Southern’s Main Line, or N-Line, to Christiansburg.

The funds will also cover infrastructure costs to build a platform and siding track at the Cambria station site.

DJ Stadtler, executive director for VPRA, said at Tuesday’s CTB meeting that the authority “came up with a much better deal that will conceivably get us to Christiansburg faster for a lot less money” and would be “beneficial” for passenger rail in the commonwealth.

Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller said Virginia “got a better situation” in Christiansburg after behind-the-scenes efforts to arrange the agreement, which still must be considered by the VPRA Board of Directors. They’ll do that at their next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 27.

“I’m excited,” Miller said. “It’s not all done yet. It is subject to due diligence and lots of work that we have to do between now and the end of August.”

More than 40 years have passed since passenger service has operated through the Southwest Virginia region.

According to VPRA, the agreement with Norfolk Southern would support the expansion of two Amtrak round trips to Christiansburg and provide for a third, operating between Roanoke and Christiansburg.

The purchase of the Manassas Line, operated by the Virginia Railway Express commuter rail service, would allow more trips outside the weekday commuting pattern, including evening and weekend service.

The line originates at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and goes to Broad Run in Prince William County.

VPRA staff will brief the authority on the CTB’s decision at the Aug. 27 meeting. Under the concept agreement, the expansion project could be completed before 2028.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the cost of the Virginian Line is $54 million. The Commonwealth Transportation Board is required by state law to consider approving the sale of any property valued in excess of $5 million.

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