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Michael L. Testerman
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Richmond VA 23218
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Modern Transportation for the Virginias

Summary of Agreement to Return Amtrak to Roanoke

Dan Peacock compiled this summary on January 15, 2014, from a signed copy provided to him by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation on January 14, 2014.

Who Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corporation (p. 1)
When January 8, 2014 (p. 2)
Why The agreement provides funds to complete infrastructure improvements before Amtrak passenger service begins between Lynchburg and Roanoke (p. 1).
Funding Source
  • Virginia Transportation Act 2000 Priority Transportation Fund
  • Intercity Passenger Rail Operating and Capital Fund (p. 1)
What One round trip per day between Roanoke and Lynchburg (p. 4)

Maximum speed: 79 miles per hour (p. 5)

Reduction in travel time to and from Roanoke: approximately half an hour (p. 26)

Cost: $92.7 million (p. 24):

  • Green-Smothers double track: $37.1 million
  • Raising heights of three Altavista-Roanoke tunnels: $36 million
  • Roanoke station and maintenance facility: $9.4 million
  • Lynchburg wye: $4.5 million
  • Lynchburg second platform: $3.6 million
  • Roanoke capacity: $1.5 million
  • Roanoke station and maintenance facility design: $0.6 million
Roanoke is responsible for costs associated with the
  • Station headhouse building (p. 5)
  • Parking structures (p. 5)
  • Culvert replacement in the rail yard

Additional, future (not high-speed) service may be possible (p. 17, Sec. 12.1)

Proposed construction schedule (pp. 6-7):

  • Construction starts: January 2015
  • Green-Smothers double track completed: January 2016
  • Lynchburg wye and platform completed: January 2016
  • Roanoke station and maintenance facility completed: October 2016
  • Virginia accepts the project for revenue passenger service: October 2016
  • Heights of three tunnels between Altavista and Roanoke raised for double-stack freight trains: December 2016
  • Virginia accepts the entire project: September 2017