Rail system in Lynchburg? (Richmond, Newport News: train, station, parking)

[gjs]

I herd a while back that Lynchburg was in the process of getting a rail system
that would connect it to DC. Anybody have any info on this to date?
If not, what is that closest rail service in that area? If so, it would sure be a plus for the local economy in that area.

Thanks,

[Nebat]

I thought there was a daily line up and running. I looked at the website and always find the schedules difficult to understand, but it looked like to me that there is a daily train to DC from Lynchburg. It's the Crescent line departing at 6:03 in the morning. I just went to the schedules for Amtrak and found it. There is no actual commuter line like the VRE or Metro that penetrates this far into the state, so Amtrak kinda fills that void. www.amtrak.com/timetables

[springgrl]

There are two trains daily. The Crescent has run through here for a while and it starts in New Orleans and runs to DC and beyond. In theory it leaves Lynchburg early around 6 a.m. and returns around 10 p.m. I say in theory because it can have bad delays.

The new train (started last October) is a Northeast Regional (trains 171 and 176) and it starts/terminates in Lynchburg. Leaves usually on time at 7:38 a.m., but my past few times returning on it, it has run over an hour late leaving DC.

Crescent is usually packed. The Regional is crowded (I was told it is the only profitable Amtrak route right now), but you can still get a row to yourself. Parking, though, has become troublesome at the station with all the popularity.

[DarkWolf]

I heard through various plans that the state plans on adding 6 round trip trains daily and slowly increase it. But CSX as usually is holding the plans up and complaining that it would hurt there business. To be honest , i think there squeezing Virgina like they have done to other states. The Amtrak Regional System in Virgina has done so well that it doesn't require a subsided. Here are the Virgina plans hosted by my Flickr To be honest i think a Statewide Rail system in Virgina would do very well.


Flickr Photo Download: Northeast Master plan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/4687903920/sizes/l/in/set-72157624119593653/ - broken link)


Flickr Photo Download: Northeastern Network (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/4687269261/sizes/l/in/set-72157624119593653/ - broken link)

[roanoker 4]

Thanks Nexis4Jersey for the informative map!
I know there is a strong push for a rail link from Roanoke to Lynchburg by the locals and state. If the Amtrak service continues to be popular then I think someone will have to figure out the lack of parking at Kemper station in Lynchburg. I guess the first step is to get the service. It looks like a long term plan!

[springgrl]

That's great to hear, Nexis. I would LOVE to see some more time options and the return of rail travel. Driving back and forth had become a nightmare (sometimes taking two hours longer than the train), and it's so much nicer to arrive in a good mood. But the tracks beyond Manassas can be so bad that I'd really like to see more added instead of trying to crush more traffic onto the existing (freight?) ones.

BTW, I'm paying for saying the Regional usually leaves on time: we're still sitting at the station this morning.

[springgrl]

That's great to hear, Nexis. I would LOVE to see some more time options and the return of rail travel. Driving back and forth had become a nightmare (sometimes taking two hours longer than the train), and it's so much nicer to arrive in a good mood and feel like I got some work done, too. But the tracks beyond Manassas can be so bad that I'd really like to see more added instead of trying to crush more traffic onto the existing (freight?) ones.

BTW, I'm paying for saying the Regional usually leaves on time: due to a bad sensor we never left this morning.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

Thanks Nexis4Jersey for the informative map!
I know there is a strong push for a rail link from Roanoke to Lynchburg by the locals and state. If the Amtrak service continues to be popular then I think someone will have to figure out the lack of parking at Kemper station in Lynchburg. I guess the first step is to get the service. It looks like a long term plan!

Thats just the intercity plan , a few smaller cities plan on enhancing there connecting services. Some smaller cities like Roanoke or Lynchburg will build streetcar loops for the Downtown area and other larger cities like Richmond will build Light Rail / Streetcar systems to interconnect with the Station. The Connecting services will cause Ridership to go up. Virgina seems to get worse and worse everytime i go do there in terms of Traffic. My Friend who works for Amtrak says Amtrak wants Electrification and track separation for the Amtrak Regional line south of DC to Richmond and Newport News. He also says Amtrak expects 150,000 daily users by the end of the decade of the Virgina Intercity Network.

Originally Posted by springgrl

That's great to hear, Nexis. I would LOVE to see some more time options and the return of rail travel. Driving back and forth had become a nightmare (sometimes taking two hours longer than the train), and it's so much nicer to arrive in a good mood. But the tracks beyond Manassas can be so bad that I'd really like to see more added instead of trying to crush more traffic onto the existing (freight?) ones.

BTW, I'm paying for saying the Regional usually leaves on time: we're still sitting at the station this morning.

2 More Concrete Tie Tracks should be added , the whole Virgina Network will be overhauled. The Virgina Govt seems to finally realize that Railways are the key to solving the terrible traffic problems. the 2 New Tracks would sit next to the freight line , so interferences would be minimal. Here's your state plan. Its part of the 2030 plans , so between now and 2030 it will happen.


Virginia Expands Rail Service, with an Option for More « The Transport Politic