VRE eyes early local express rail run

To lure passengers onto the Virginia Railway Express Fredericksburg Line, the commuter train system is poised to start a 5 a.m. morning express in July that will collect passengers only at Fredericksburg, Leeland Road and Brooke.

"Next stop, Alexandria," said Virginia Railway Express CEO Dale Zehner.

Eliminating all the stops in between--Quantico, Rippon, Woodbridge, Lorton, and Franconia-Springfield, will save 20 minutes.

Zehner has included $386,000 to start the express train in VRE's fiscal year 2011 budget, presented yesterday to the VRE Operations Board.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009 ... 009/515657

Gee what those other stops don't need a earlier train, or an express????? whose running that company.? they need more trains period and also later trains

Brooke, Leeland and Fred riders usually spend more than an hour on the train. Quantico and north takes as little as 20 minutes. Simple math. If you are closer in, it takes less time to reach your destination. If you are farther out, it takes longer. I rode a crippled VRE from Rippon to Fredericksburg without stopping (it was off-loaded), and what was normally 40 minutes or so with stops took half the time even though we were following the train everyone was off-loaded onto.

Not to mention that an express train that makes frequent stops necessarily ceases to be an express.

More trains...maybe weekends. They are already running trains 30-45 minutes apart on each line, plus Amtrak, plus CSX, plus NS, and they all have to merge together south of Alexandria. They added the mid-day a few years ago. The reverse flow Manassas trains only carry about 10 people each and run as an express. So really, an earlier evening train is about all they could add and all that I think is needed as this point. Aside from the early morning express. I know I'll be on it!

Well i guess i still will be waiting for that 1st local at rippon, or woodbridge or drive to the sorry metro. Depending on when i sign up at DC. it still is a under serviced line, especially with the 95 traffic. i see standees quite often. i'm sure riders all along the line wish they had express service.

Guaranteed that the first train that isn't the express, that would be train 300, will not be standing room only at Rippon. And in the evening, sit up front or in the last couple of cars. Depending on which train you catch in the evening, there's room in the back. People just don't like to sit there because it's not close to the exit.

But yes, express is good. Very good. Here's hoping it goes through!