The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Norfolk Southern announced the financial closing of the Western Rail Initiative Agreement.
The deal will expand passenger rail service from Washington to Roanoke, Virginia, and to the New River Valley.
The first step in the expansion is the addition of a second Commonwealth-supported roundtrip train between Roanoke and Washington, DC which will launch on July 11, 2022.
This roundtrip further connects Virginia’s Blue Ridge with Northern Virginia and points along the Northeast Corridor including New York and Boston. The agreement also includes the future extension of the Roanoke service to the New River Valley with the construction of a new station as well as track and signal improvements.
