WYATT GORDON
The Virginia Mercury
RICHMOND â When former Gov. Doug Wilder sold off the stateâs interest in hundreds of miles of track and rail right-of-way in the early 1990s, the move was applauded by the Republican-dominated legislature as a prudent divestment to help balance the annual budget.
Since then, though, the state has spent millions more on track improvements benefiting railroad corporations in exchange for every increase in passenger train service Virginia has sought.
To avoid another such flash sale of Virginiaâs rail infrastructure and to oversee an increasing focus on boosting passenger rail capacity to combat congestion, this March the General Assembly created the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority.
Creating a unified brand and fare policy for the Washington region s commuter rail systems could help reduce travel times and improve economic development opportunities over the next few decades, according to a new report released Thursday.
The Greater Washington Partnership, with support from leaders of Amtrak, state departments of transportation, and existing commuter rail systems, released its âCapital Region Rail Visionâ report Thursday, outlining its plan to seamlessly interconnect Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Colombia. Â
During a virtual news conference, Joe McAndrew, vice president of the partnership, said one of the key issues for the region is adapting the regionâs transportation network to its growing size.