VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS: a commuter-rail success story photos & text by Wingate Lassiter, representative of the Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce
	Started in 1992, northern Virginia's commuter-rail service continues to attract riders, with an astounding increase in passengers of 18 percent annually over the past three years. VRE operates 30 revenue trains daily on tracks of the Southeast's two major freight railroads: CSX and Norfolk Southern – 12 trains between Washington Union Station and Fredericksburg over the former RF&P main line, 18 trains between Washington and Manassas over the former Southern Railway main line. Daily ridership is approaching 14,000 – about 7,000 passengers commuting to and from their jobs.
A delegation led by President Scott Saylor of the North Carolina Railroad Company met with VRE leaders March 26 to learn how the system got started and what it's doing to increase patronage. The day's activities began with a ride on a VRE train from Alexandria station (pictured) to Broad Run Station just south of Manassas.
The train ridden by the North Carolina delegation was made up of new equipment leased by VRE from Seattle, Washington's "Sounder" service. The NC delegation included Chamber of Commerce representatives and other bvusinessmen from Wilson, Goldsboro, and Smithfield-Selma. Also attending were officials of Norfolk Southern, which operates freight trains on rail lines running eastward from Raleigh that are candidates for commuter-rail service
VRE operates a vareity of equipment, much of it rebuilt passenger cars up to 40 years old. The double-decker cars pictured are refurbished "hand-me-downs" from Chicago's commuter system.
VRE commuter trains share tracks with CSX and NS freight trains as well as Amtrak inter-city passenger trains. This view is from the lead car of a northbound VRE train approaching Alexandria station. The passenger train heading south is Amtrak's No. 79, the Carolinian – a New York-to-Charlotte train that gets financial support from the State of North Carolina.
Pictured is a portion of new development that has grown up in recent years near the Alexandria train station and an adjacent METRO station (part Washington's mass-transit subway system). The Alexandria development includes luxury hotels, upscale restaurants and specialty shops, and lots of commercial office space.