(The following story by Mason Adams appeared on the Roanoke Times website on October 7, 2009.)
ROANOKE, Va. — State rail officials offered this advice Wednesday to Roanokers who would like to see passenger rail return to the city: take the bus more often.
The December 2008 Statewide Rail Plan includes a project to link Lynchburg — where new Amtrak service started just last week — to Roanoke, where passenger rail service has not been available since 1979.
But during a town hall meeting at the O. Winston Link Museum, Kevin Page, chief of rail transportation for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, repeatedly emphasized that the project is dependent on funding and demand.
“The grass-roots effort starts at home,” Page said. “Get your people in your house, your friends, your associates to understand and start to believe in public transportation.”
He suggested that Roanoke and Lynchburg officials might coordinate to provide bus service between the two cities. That would offer Roanokers public transportation to the Lynchburg train station, he said, while also demonstrating that passenger rail between the two would be worth the cost.
“I’d encourage this region to try to work collaboratively with your transit providers and transit providers in Lynchburg to try to start connecting bus service between Roanoke and Lynchburg for this train service connection,” Page said, adding that it’s one of the “biggest barometers” to show the potential for ridership in Roanoke.
The capital cost for the linkage is estimated at $105.9 million, or $117.2 million if adjusted for inflation, and the service will likely require an operational subsidy.
The cost of a one-way Amtrak ticket from Lynchburg to Washington starts at $38.
About 75 people attended the town hall meeting. State Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, asked, “How many people want passenger rail transportation here in Roanoke?” He was met with a roar of applause.
In February, Page told a state Senate panel that — assuming funding is available and there’s no conflict with freight trains run by Norfolk Southern Corp. — there could be Amtrak passenger rail service up and running between Roanoke and Lynchburg by as early as 2015.
Page said Wednesday that date still may be obtainable: “2015 is a target that could potentially be hit, but again there are a lot of moving pieces to get through from today through 2015.”
To some extent, the line will depend on the success of the new service in Lynchburg, which has secured state funding for three years.
From Roanoke, the line may be extended to Bristol. Page said that service could be in place by 2020, but he said that ridership estimates there “have not been great.”
Online: “2008 Virginia State Rail Plan Final,” under Rail Studies and Reports: www.drpt.virginia.gov.