Members of Virginia’s Congressional Delegation have announced that the Commonwealth is set to receive a historic amount of funding to improve passenger rail service. Virginia’s Democrat Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine celebrated “more than $700 million in federal funding for construction of a new bridge over the Potomac River.” Governor Glenn Youngkin was also present for the announcement earlier this week.
“Long Bridge will more than double the passenger rail capacity on Amtrak that takes rail passengers not only to Richmond and further south, but this will increase rail traffic to Hampton Roads. It will increase rail traffic to Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke and ultimately to Blacksburg and beyond,” Warner said.
Friday brought another announcement: federal planning grants for the Western Corridor which could eventually extend to Bristol and beyond, and for the Commonwealth Corridor, which would allow east west travel across the state.
A third grant to Amtrak will study increasing the frequency of the Cardinal, which serves Clifton Forge, from three trains a week to daily service.
Southwest Virginia leaders noted that the study was a significant step in the right direction to better connect the Commonwealth.