The Commonwealth of Virginia has invested billions of dollars in an effort to increase passenger rail service including an ongoing subsidy of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional since 2009 that now includes two daily trains from Roanoke to Washington D.C. and beyond.
A continued level of investment is called for in the 2022 Statewide Rail Plan created by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
“Virginia’s rail network is a valuable asset that drives the economy, reduces congestion, improves safety, and saves taxpayer money,” reads one of the first pages of the plan. “Continued investment in rail infrastructure will ensure the Commonwealth’s goals for its transportation network are achieved.”
The DRPT is well along the way of updating the Statewide Rail Plan with one survey having been conducted in the spring and a second one underway now.
“Following the review of those responses and other input, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has revised its strategies used to address the trends and additional feedback,” reads the website for the feedback exercise. “This survey will present you with questions about the revised strategies, which will help to further inform this year’s Virginia Statewide Rail Plan.”
The survey is being administered by the University of Virginia’s Center for Survey Research. Participants are eligible for a raffle for two roundtrip coach tickets on the Amtrak Northeast Regional.
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Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the October 15, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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