Virginia Buys Manassas Line from NS for Passenger Rail

by Sean Jeans-Gail | Vice President, Gov't Affairs + Policy

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced an agreement to purchase the Manassas Line from Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) this week, accelerating work to expand evening and weekend frequencies on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service between Bristow, VA and Washington, DC. The deal between VPRA and NS also includes enhanced access to the NS main line (N-Line) in Christiansburg, a key element for expanding Amtrak Virginia service to Virginia's New River Valley.

Virginia has been a national leader in acquiring railroad rights-of-way to advance its comprehensive, statewide vision for a better rail network. A 2021 agreement between VPRA and CSX allowed the Commonwealth to acquire 384 miles of CSX right-of-way and 223 miles of track. This purchase has allowed VPRA to invest with confidence in upgrades to Amtrak Virginia and VRE services, and positioned the Commonwealth to secure a significant federal grant to upgrade the DC – Richmond rail corridor (and almost certainly played a part in North Carolina securing a federal grant for upgrades to the Richmond – Raleigh corridor).

“This new agreement with Norfolk Southern allows passenger rail to reach Christiansburg years earlier and at a better location,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller. “It also includes the acquisition of the Manassas Line, which will provide tremendous value to the Commonwealth—particularly Northern Viriginia—by not only supporting intercity rail, but also enabling VRE to implement night and weekend service to better meet customer demand. The deal achieves all of this while saving nearly $100 million. I commend Norfolk Southern for working closely with the Commonwealth to arrive at this much improved result.”

“This agreement is proof of what’s possible when freight and passenger railroads work together,” said NS Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Mike McClellan. “We appreciate the partnership from VPRA and look forward to continuing to work together to make this service to Christiansburg a reality as soon as possible.”

The purchase of the Manassas line will allow VRE to move closer to a regional rail operating model, allowing passengers to use the service for more than just their commute to work.

“We look forward to furthering our partnership with [the freight railroads] to develop passenger rail service that travels where Virginians want to go when they want to go,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA.