Passenger Rail Returning to Virginia’s New River Valley Passenger Rail Returning to Virginia’s New River Valley Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor The Western Rail Initiative in Virginia calls for an additional round-trip train to Roanoke in 2022, and an extension of Northeast Corridor service from Roanoke to Christiansburg in the New River Valley in 2025. The Commonwealth of Virginia and Norfolk Southern (NS) have reached a $257.2 million agreement that will increase existing Amtrak service to Roanoke and expand service to the New River Valley. The agreement, known as the Western Rail Initiative, calls for: • One additional round-trip train to Roanoke in 2022. It will depart Washington, D.C., in the morning and also serve Alexandria, Burke, Manassas, Culpeper, Charlottesville and Lynchburg. The service will complement existing Amtrak Northeast Corridor service that travels northbound from Roanoke in the morning and returns in the afternoon.