NEWS

VRE mulls Saturday service and free fare for kids in a bid to attract non-commuters

Jo DeVoe October 26, 2023 at 11:30am

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TRANSPORTATION

VRE plans new weekend service, fare increases next year

Virginia Railway Express plans to launch Saturday train service next year, which would be its first weekend operation in the system’s 31-year history

By Luz Lazo
October 27, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT

Virginia Railway Express is on track to launch Saturday service next year, marking the first major expansion in the system’s 31-year history. ... The Northern Virginia commuter rail system is also proposing a 5 percent fare increase to keep up with rising costs. The fare hike and weekend service are included in the agency’s proposed fiscal 2025 budget, which begins July 1, 2024. It would be the system’s first fare increase in five years.

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VRE officials say the 5 percent fare increase would yield about $1 million in additional revenue annually, necessary to keep up with rising costs — including a nearly 20 percent increase in inflation since the system last updated fares in 2019.

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For some rail users, the increase would be up to 45 cents more per ride. Riders who travel from Woodbridge to Crystal City in Arlington would see their fare rise from $8.55 to $9. A monthly pass on the Fredericksburg line would go from $336.80 to $354.80.

The addition of Saturday service is likely to go into effect next summer on the system’s two lines, which connect Manassas and Fredericksburg to Washington. ... Agency leaders say they are negotiating service slots with CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and Amtrak, which own the tracks VRE uses. The plan calls for three round-trips on each line on Saturdays, with trips northbound in the morning and southbound in the afternoon and evening.

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By Luz Lazo
Luz Lazo is a transportation reporter at The Washington Post covering passenger and freight transportation, buses, taxis and ride-sharing services. She also writes about traffic, road infrastructure and air travel in the Washington region and beyond. She joined The Post in 2011. Twitter https://twitter.com/luzcita