VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS

The 'Virginia Railway Express' (VRE) is a commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia area with Washington, DC. The VRE operates on two lines, the Fredericksburg line, which starts from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Manassas line, which starts from Broad Run Airport in Bristow, Virginia. Both lines end at Union Station in Washington, DC. Fredericksburg is considered the southernmost suburb of Washington. Service to Manassas began on June 22, 1992; service to Fredericksburg followed on July 20, 1992.
It is a transportation partnership
of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC).
Its organization consists of the 'VRE Operations Board,' which consists of seven commissioners [the Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) and three commissioners each from NVTC and PRTC], which oversees all operating aspects of the Virginia Railway Express, and the 'VRE Operations Group,' which reports to the Board and handles the daily operations of the VRE.
The fare structure is distance-based. Stations are divided up into nine zones. Through a cross-honoring agreement, VRE and MARC allow passengers to transfer to a train on the other system provided that it is going in the opposite direction of the rush-hour commuters (e.g., heading away from DC in the morning).
The VRE does not own its own track, but does own its locomotives and passenger cars. The trains operate on a collection of lines owned and maintained by Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, and CSX Transportation. Amtrak operates the trains, so VRE crew are Amtrak employees (although with VRE uniforms).
Unlike some other commuter rail services around the country, such as Caltrain and MBTA Commuter Rail, VRE does not operate on weekends. Service is suspended or reduced on select holidays.
On January 5, 2006, at 6:45am, VRE's Fredericksburg line train #304 bound for Washington, D.C., derailed at Possum Point just north of Quantico, Virginia. Four people, including one conductor suffered minor injuries and were treated and released by medical personnel. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the derailment near Quantico, Virginia, was an excessively worn and chipped switch point, which caused the lead truck of the fourth passenger car to derail. Contributing to the accident was CSX’s delay in replacing a switch point that had been repeatedly identified as deteriorating.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2006/RAB0606.htm

Contents

Fredericksburg Line

Manassas Line

See also

External links

Fredericksburg Line

The Fredericksburg Line runs north-south along trackage owned by CSX Transportation.

Station (Zone)	Daily Ridership		Annual Ridership
	2003	2004	2003	2004
Fredericksburg (9)	857	973	213096	239540
Leeland(8)	546	608	135500	149536
Brooke(8)	300	328	73852	80465
Quantico (6)	399	441	98340	108769
Rippon(5)	347	382	85507	93945
Woodbridge (5)	693	773	170854	190166
Lorton (4)	205	222	50701	54635
Franconia-Springfield (Transfer to Metro Blue Line) (3)	196	210	48623	52294
Alexandria Union Station (Transfer to Metro Blue and Yellow Lines at King Street, Amtrak) (2)	345	425	85562	105450
Crystal City (Transfer to Metro Blue and Yellow Lines) (2)	1033	1165	256447	292114
L'Enfant Plaza (Transfer to Metro Green, Orange, Blue and Yellow Lines) (1)	1119	1252	277939	314158
★ Union Station (Transfer to Metro Red Line, MARC, Amtrak) (1)	617	717	153142	179393

Manassas Line

The Manassas Line runs east-west along trackage owned by Norfolk Southern.

Station (Zone)	Daily Ridership		Annual Ridership
	2003	2004	2003	2004
Broad Run (6)	557	673	138456	165626
Manassas (6)	599	676	148722	167277
Manassas Park (6)	544	624	135075	154229
Burke Center (4)	663	765	164568	189146
Rolling Road (4)	355	393	88189	97389
Backlick Road (3)	131	138	32701	64056
Alexandria Union Station (Transfer to Metro Blue and Yellow Lines at King Street, Amtrak) (2)	202	228	50292	56390
Crystal City (Transfer to Metro Blue and Yellow Lines) (2)	691	768	172148	189820
L'Enfant Plaza (Transfer to Metro Green, Orange, Blue and Yellow Lines) (1)	1279	1441	318712	355780
Union Station (Transfer to Metro Red Line, MARC, Amtrak) (1)	725	815	180748	201561

See also

★ List of Washington, DC railroads

★ List of United States railroads

External links

★ Virginia Railway Express Official site

★ System Map

★ Railfanning.org: VRE Profile