(The following story by Rachana Dixit appeared on the Lynchburg News Advance website on December 8.)
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Local rail supporters are thrilled that despite the economic odds, a state-proposed $17 million three-year pilot program includes long-awaited U.S. 29 passenger rail improvements.
“Virginia has never supported passenger rail operations,“ said Meredith Richards, chairwoman of the local Piedmont Rail Coalition and a former city councilor. “It’s going to be a whole new paradigm.“
But for many across the state, it could potentially represent something greater: the funds, coupled with the shift in national politics and renewed interest in infrastructure spending, they say, could bode quote well for the future of train travel.
“It’s a big step,“ Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris said.
The state demonstration program – whose subsidies in part would help finance a daily Amtrak route from Lynchburg to Washington, with stops in Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas and Alexandria – surprised most in the area. The line would cost the state $1.9 million annually to operate.
Because of the expected lack of funds, Norris said that while expanding rail and other forms of transportation exclusive of car travel are important, they were not listed as one of the City Council’s top priorities.
“We were told all along that the state has this massive budget shortfall and this may not be the year that it happens,“ Norris said.
Richards said she was also skeptical, despite her and the coalition’s efforts, that a funding source would soon be identified.
“We thought it was going to be a very tough time getting this funding this year,“ she said. The Commonwealth Transportation Board will vote on the funding proposal at its January meeting.
While that approval is still pending, Richards said the shift to invest in rail is already beginning, and not just statewide. Before the Nov. 4 election, Richards said, Congress passed a sizeable Amtrak funding authorization bill, large parts of which will be appropriated as state grants to expand regional rail.
“It is a massive new investment, foretold in this bill by Congress, in expanding Amtrak service,“ Richards said. “I think by the time this new service starts we’re going to see at the national level a strong new emphasis on passenger rail.“
U.S. Rep.-elect Tom Perriello, who has taken Amtrak trains out of Charlottesville, said the city could use more trains running through it, and he thinks the U.S. government will be friendly to expanding rail infrastructure in the coming years.
According to a 2007 Virginia Amtrak ridership report, last year there were 48,190 boardings – riders getting on and off a train – from Charlottesville’s West Main Street station. With no service improvements, the annual Amtrak ridership between the Washington area and Lynchburg is estimated to be between 71,800 and 90,900 by 2030, according to the Virginia Statewide Rail Plan. If two daily roundtrip trains were added, annual ridership would increase to between 152,800 and 193,300 by 2030, the report stated.
“I would be very excited about having more opportunities to rely on rail service,“ Perriello said.
Gordon Hickey, spokesman for Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, said that while he could not speculate about why the proposed funding for the regional three-year pilot was decided upon now, expanding rail service is something that is clearly supported by many Virginia localities.
Earlier this year, 22 local governments and agencies signed and sent resolutions to the governor, saying they wanted more passenger rail service along U.S. 29. Currently, 20 passenger trains run through Charlottesville per week, compared with Lynchburg’s 14 and Richmond’s 126.
“I think it’s probably been something that’s been in the works for some time,“ Hickey said.
Hickey added that like incoming President Barack Obama, the governor desires to make large investments in infrastructure improvements, including mass transit and rail.
“I think that’s well in line with what President-elect Obama has in mind,“ he said.