Rail and transportation officials sign agreement for Virginia passenger plan

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia has finalized agreements with CSX Transportation, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express on the $3.7 billion partnership that will improve passenger, commuter, and freight railroad service in the state.

“We are celebrating good news: An expansion of rail service that will reduce congestion, boost the economy, and make life better for people across the Commonwealth of Virginia and contribute to the economy of the region as a whole,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a trackside ceremony at the Alexandria Amtrak and VRE station.

The agreements signed today include advancing the construction of a new $1.9 billion, double-track Long Bridge across the Potomac River to handle passenger and commuter trains. The existing CSX double-track span — which is at capacity hosting freight, Amtrak, and VRE trains — will be retained as a freight-only bridge.

The bridge project is the result of cooperation between federal, state, and rail officials. “This is exactly what our country needs more of,” Buttigieg says.

Gov. Ralph Northam noted that the state’s rail plan includes the acquisition of 386 miles of rail right-of-way and 223 miles of track from CSX. The goal over the next decade is to expand passenger and commuter service while separating freight traffic, particularly in the busy Interstate 95 corridor, and laying the groundwork for an eventual high-speed route to North Carolina.

Drivers spend 230 million hours each year stuck in traffic in Virginia, translating into $6.5 billion in annual congestion-related costs, Northam says. The solution is dramatically expanding passenger service at a third of the cost of adding another lane to I-95, he says.

“Adding more highway lanes isn’t the answer,” Northam says.

Virginia’s rail efforts dovetail with Amtrak’s plan to develop more regional service in corridors across the country.

“Virginia is a model for the nation in recognizing the role passenger rail can play in connecting people and communities,” Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn says. “Our state supported routes and new intercity corridors offer greater opportunities to meaningfully address the environmental crisis … while at the same time enhancing mobility as our population continues to grow.”

Flynn saluted CSX CEO Jim Foote and the role his railroad played in working with Virginia and Amtrak to enable eventual expansion of service. “We really couldn’t do it without them,” Flynn says.

Foote said the partnership came together quickly, which was a testament to the power of working together.

“This is really, really an excellent example of when a private entity like us can cooperate and have a common vision for what’s in the best interest of everyone and collaborate and get together and come up with a solution that is truly, truly, truly beneficial for everyone,” Foote says.

Foote said Virginia’s rail plan will help take cars and trucks off the road and put drivers and cargo where they belong: On passenger and freight rail.

A key element of the plan is building a separate double-track passenger railroad alongside the existing CSX main line between Washington and Richmond.

An Amtrak train served as a backdrop for the opening of the ceremony, until it pulled out shortly after the event began. Several Washington Metro trains rolled by in the background as officials spoke.

Flynn was several minutes into his remarks when he looked over his right shoulder and realized a CSX coal train was approaching the station. “Well, I’m not going to compete,” Flynn said just before the locomotives rumbled by.

Flynn smiled, turned toward Foote, and said, “CSX, Jim!,” while making a “blow the horn” gesture with his left arm as the engineer sounded the horn.

Flynn resumed speaking after the locomotive noise died down. “But I will finish,” Flynn said. “It’s probably a 100-car train so we better finish, right?”