Dr. Gridlock

Plans for higher-speed rail between Richmond and Washington on track

By Luz Lazo December 8 at 7:00 AM
@luzcita

Virginia is moving forward with a plan to speed train travel between Washington and Richmond by 2025.

The state’s rail agency and the Federal Railroad Administration are exploring the feasibility of higher-speed rail on the 123-mile stretch connecting the two capital cities. Midway through a federal environmental review, the agencies have identified possible improvements, including adding a third track all along the corridor, adding passing sidings and crossovers to allow trains to pass one another more easily, and straightening some curves to achieve faster speed.

Over the past few months engineers have also identified locations where the track could be straightened to allow for higher speeds. The plan, officials say, is to raise the maximum rail speed from the current 70 mph to 90 mph, and in doing so, make intercity passenger rail more reliable for people in the corridor and more competitive with car and air travel.

Cutting down the travel time between the two cities from the current 2 hour and 45 minutes to 90 minutes would make train travel more attractive to travelers in the corridor. Ridership between the capital cities was 186,268 in the past fiscal year, according to Amtrak.