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A partnership among the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Amtrak, VRE, freight railroad CSX and the city of Alexandria is undertaking the projects. They relate to the VPRA\u2019s $2.6 billion Long Bridge project<\/a>, which will add a second two-track rail bridge over the Potomac River, along with new pedestrian and bicycle bridges, to eliminate a bottleneck for passenger and freight trains running between Virginia and Washington, D.C.\u00a0<\/p>\n The suite of projects that broke ground Nov. 12 and the Long Bridge project are both targeted for completion in 2030. \u201cWe [and our partners] have been able to develop a plan that combines a number of projects to benefit not just rail passengers but the local community as well,\u201d DJ Stadtler, executive director of VPRA, said in a statement.<\/p>\n The projects are part of VPRA\u2019s \u201cTransforming Rail in Virginia<\/a>\u201d initiative. When completed, the initiative will allow an increase in the number of state-supported Amtrak daily roundtrips from the current eight to 13 and expand VRE service on two lines, including new weekend service.<\/p>\n Alexandria station improvements will include replacing a street-level crossing with a tunnel connecting the two platforms and upgrading the platforms to improve passenger safety. The city of Alexandria will lead the creation of a new streetscape in the station area under the new bridges.\u00a0<\/p>\n Virginia has invested in passenger rail through support for Amtrak trains, the acquisition of nearly 500 miles of railroad right-of-way and the creation of VRE in 1992. The commuter rail system carries an average of 20,000 passengers daily<\/a>. Virginia\u2019s state-supported Amtrak trains<\/a> set a new record in fiscal year 2025, carrying over 1.4 million riders.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to VPRA, \u201cpassenger rail provides the most cost-effective solution<\/a>\u201d to traffic congestion in the state and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. According to the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the region’s population has grown by 74%<\/a> since 1990 and is forecast to exceed 3 million by 2040.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n