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Virginia Lands Major Federal Infusion To Relieve Rail Bottleneck Over Potomac
Last edited Thu Dec 7, 2023, 04:23 PM - Edit history (1)
12:29 PM
Virginia Lands Major Federal Infusion To Relieve Rail Bottleneck Over Potomac
Margaret Barthel
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said new federal funding will “unlock” the Long Bridge project and other passenger rail investments in Virginia.
Margaret Barthel / DCist/WAMU
Virginia will receive $729 million in federal funding to finance the Long Bridge project, making possible a long-awaited two-track passenger rail bridge over the Potomac River between Arlington and D.C. The new bridge will double Amtrak’s capacity and dramatically increase VRE service to D.C. from Fredericksburg.
The new bridge will sit next to the existing Long Bridge, which currently operates at 98% capacity and is a major choke point for Amtrak, VRE, and freight trains crossing from Arlington to D.C. The current bridge is owned by CSX Transportation, a freight rail company, and it carries 1.3 million Amtrak passengers and 4.5 million VRE commuters each year.
Adding a new span has been a longtime goal for officials in the D.C. region, who first announced the project would move forward in 2021. ... “Long Bridge is like the skinny piece in the hourglass. Long Bridge is the connection between the Northeast and the Southeast,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine at a gathering announcing the new funding. “There’s nothing that can really happen in terms of growing our rail usage, both for passenger and freight, if you don’t deal with Long Bridge.”
Construction is expected to be complete by 2030. Once open, the new bridge will allow for three additional Virginia Amtrak trains, a doubling of the current capacity on the line between D.C. and Richmond. The project could have an even more significant impact on VRE commuter trains coming into the city from Fredericksburg, increasing service by 75%, including new weekend and late night trains.
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Virginia Lands Major Federal Infusion To Relieve Rail Bottleneck Over Potomac
Margaret Barthel
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said new federal funding will “unlock” the Long Bridge project and other passenger rail investments in Virginia.
Margaret Barthel / DCist/WAMU
Virginia will receive $729 million in federal funding to finance the Long Bridge project, making possible a long-awaited two-track passenger rail bridge over the Potomac River between Arlington and D.C. The new bridge will double Amtrak’s capacity and dramatically increase VRE service to D.C. from Fredericksburg.
The new bridge will sit next to the existing Long Bridge, which currently operates at 98% capacity and is a major choke point for Amtrak, VRE, and freight trains crossing from Arlington to D.C. The current bridge is owned by CSX Transportation, a freight rail company, and it carries 1.3 million Amtrak passengers and 4.5 million VRE commuters each year.
Adding a new span has been a longtime goal for officials in the D.C. region, who first announced the project would move forward in 2021. ... “Long Bridge is like the skinny piece in the hourglass. Long Bridge is the connection between the Northeast and the Southeast,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine at a gathering announcing the new funding. “There’s nothing that can really happen in terms of growing our rail usage, both for passenger and freight, if you don’t deal with Long Bridge.”
Construction is expected to be complete by 2030. Once open, the new bridge will allow for three additional Virginia Amtrak trains, a doubling of the current capacity on the line between D.C. and Richmond. The project could have an even more significant impact on VRE commuter trains coming into the city from Fredericksburg, increasing service by 75%, including new weekend and late night trains.
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December 07, 2023 News
VPRA Selects Construction Partners for Long Bridge-North, Franconia-Springfield Bypass Projects
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor, Railway Track & Structures
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VPRA Selects Construction Partners for Long Bridge-North, Franconia-Springfield Bypass Projects
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor, Railway Track & Structures
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