Virginia Railway Express
 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Owner |
PRTC NVTC |
| Locale | Northern Virginia |
| Transit type | Regional rail |
| Number of lines | 2 |
| Number of stations | 19 (1 planned) |
| Daily ridership | 17,500 (Q1 2016) |
| Annual ridership | 4,374,000 (2015) |
| Website | www |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1992 |
| Operator(s) | Keolis |
| Reporting marks | VREX |
| Technical | |
| System length | 90 mi (145 km) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) (reporting mark VREX) is a regional/commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia suburbs to Union Station in Washington, D.C., via two lines: the Fredericksburg Line from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run/Airport station in Bristow, Virginia.
Service to Manassas began on June 22, 1992; the Fredericksburg service started on July 20, 1992.
VRE is owned by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission. The NVTC and PRTC are governmental entities that were created by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Local governments (such as counties and cities) within each commission's geographic area are members of each commission.
Discussions about commuter rail service in Northern Virginia had occurred as early as 1964 at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, but died in the face of opposition by the freight railroads whose tracks offered ready access to core employment areas. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments eventually commissioned a regional feasibility study by R.L. Banks and Associates, Inc., and planning began in earnest for VRE in 1984.
By 1986, it became apparent that the jurisdictions outside of NVTC could not reach agreement on how to support VRE by joining NVTC so the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission was created for Prince William and Stafford counties and the city of Manassas. Legislation established a 2% motor fuels tax to support VRE expenses and other transportation investments.
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