Several appointments were made this past week to the body that will own the future station used for the return of passenger rail to the New River Valley.
Christiansburg will have an Amtrak station by 2025
Also, sometime in 2022, a second train will be departing Roanoke
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CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – Gov. Ralph Northam came to Christiansburg on Wednesday to announce that $257 million is being invested to bring passenger rail to the New River Valley.
In addition to Christiansburg getting an Amtrak station, starting in 2022, Northam announced that a second train will be departing Roanoke to Washington, D.C.
By 2025, both trains will be extended to the Christiansburg station.
The more than quarter-billion-dollar investment will also allow for railroad infrastructure upgrades in Southwest Virginia.
The governor gave the announcement from just outside the Regal theater at Uptown Christiansburg, more commonly known as the New River Valley Mall.
Michael Pope reports
One hundred years ago, trains were the way to get around Virginia. Then the rise of the automobile changed all that. Passenger rail lines were cancelled, and interstates became clogged with traffic.
Larry Hincker at the New River Valley passenger rail initiative says the interstates is great, but they’re not the solution to everything. We re been advocating for improvements to I-81, but we also can see that passenger rail helps alleviate some of that I-81 traffic.
An Amtrak passenger train rolls into Roanoke s new station in 2017. Amtrak s Northeast Regional service starts and ends each day in Roanoke.
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