(The following article by Edie Gross was posted on the Free Lance Star website on January 6.)
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The past year has been a rough one for the Virginia Railway Express and the 8,000 or so passengers who depend on the commuter train each day.
The system has been plagued by delays–more than 1,300 over the past 12 months–caused by everything from engine trouble on trains to construction work along the tracks.
VRE hit an all-time low in October when trains on the Fredericksburg line arrived on schedule only 55 percent of the time. By year’s end, that measure had improved to 66 percent–but still a far cry from the on-time performance VRE used to post.
“About two years ago, they were consistently on time 90 to 95 percent,” said longtime rider Steve Dunham. “Then 2004 was a bad year, and 2005 was worse.”
yesterday’s derailment of a VRE train north of Quantico was the first of its kind and more serious than the usual hiccups that interrupt the 13-year-old service. But it doesn’t bode well for 2006, said Dunham, chairman of the Virginia Association of Railway Patrons.
“They’re off to a bad start,” he said.
VRE officials say they’re well aware of the difficulties riders have endured this year. Many, caused by CSX rail equipment or CSX freight trains, are out of the agency’s control.
But passengers still pay the price, putting up with late or canceled trains.
“It’s been a tough year to have been a loyal VRE customer,” said VRE spokeswoman Wendy Lemieux. “We think they’ve done it with class and aplomb.”
Among the frustrations over the past year:
On June 6, three CSX trains stopped in the middle of a run because their crews had been on board the maximum allowable time. One of those trains blocked the L’Enfant station entrance, delaying eight of 12 morning VRE trains.
On June 20, an interlocking mechanism between Fredericksburg and Quantico malfunctioned, forcing trains through that area to slow to 15 mph. Even then, several VRE trains were stuck behind a CSX train traveling at 6 mph, meaning some commuters were delayed up to two hours.
On Aug. 14, CSX crews failed to finish a massive railroad upgrade between Fredericksburg and Quantico on time. The result: VRE had to cut its schedule in half for several days, and the trains that ran were delayed.
On Aug. 19, VRE tried to return to regular service, but a problem with a new track signal as well as a disabled freight train delayed four morning trains.
On Sept. 12, two VRE trains broke down during the morning commute. In addition, a CSX freight train carrying hazardous materials broke down on the tracks north of the Quantico bridge, and VRE trains couldn’t go around it until it was inspected.
Passengers have also experienced short delays all fall while work crews replaced railroad ties on the tracks between Spotsylvania County and Washington.
Passenger Rick Pullen said he’s frustrated because CSX freight trains often take precedence over VRE trains. Freight operator CSX, based in Jacksonville, Fla., owns the railroad track. On a normal day, 13 VRE trains use that stretch, along with 18 Amtrak trains and 20 freight trains, according to The Associated Press.
“As I like to say, VRE’s not a commuter rail, it’s an adventure. CSX is the villain 99 percent of the time,” Pullen said. “What we need to do is get Congress involved. Oranges and New York City garbage get better priority on the rails than passengers, and that’s just wrong.”
VRE passenger Sharon Strange said in an e-mail that she tries to keep incidents such as yesterday’s in perspective. Driving Interstate 95 each morning would be no improvement, she wrote.
“I read the e-mails and hear the snickers and comments about VRE being late or having old equipment, etc., but being a rider for about six months, it is not a bad option (And most people who make these comments continue to ride),” she wrote. “Point being: Does anyone remember the gunpowder or orange-juice truck incidents that shut down I-95/I-395 years ago? It’s just another form of rush-hour delay that impacts us. Let’s not crucify the VRE just yet.”
As the roads have grown more congested, commuters have taken VRE troubles in stride. But they’ve been upset in recent years by increases in ticket prices that have accompanied a downturn in service.
In 2003, prices rose 4 percent, but service was great, so few complained. When fares went up an average of 6 percent in 2004–the same year some services were cut–passengers raised holy heck.
Prices went up 2.75 percent last year, and VRE officials are looking at another 6 percent increase for this year.
Lemieux said VRE has worked hard behind the scenes to address some of the problems, and on-time performance was improving toward the end of last year.
“It’s like a duck. It’s gliding along the surface, but underneath, its feet are paddling like crazy,” she said. “People don’t necessarily see a lot of the efforts being made, but they’re being made. Things were definitely looking up before today.”