AMTRAK VIRGINIA TO HOST LYNCHBURG INAUGURAL WHISTLE STOP TOUR SEPT. 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
September 17, 2009                     

Contact:
Jennifer Pickett
804 786 7432
jennifer.pickett@drpt.virginia.gov

Karina Romero
Amtrak
202 906 3860
mediarelations@amtrak.com

MEDIA ADVISORY
New travel options are coming to Central Virginia

WHO:  Governor Kaine, Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, Norfolk Southern Chairman, President and CEO Wick Moorman and Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer will join federal, state and local officials to launch the new Amtrak Northeast Regional passenger rail service between Lynchburg and Boston.  It marks the first time in history that Amtrak service originates in Lynchburg – offering a one-seat ride to Washington, DC and numerous destinations in the Northeast.

WHAT & WHEN:  To commemorate the new service, Amtrak Virginia will hold a Whistle Stop Train Tour, including train station events, Sept. 30, 2009. Boardman, Moorman, Homer and invited guests, including federal, state and local officials, will be on the train tour.  The train will make stops at locations listed below.  Localities will host events at stations along the train route, with a major concluding event to be held in Lynchburg.   Governor Kaine will join the tour in Charlottesville and ride the train to Lynchburg for the concluding celebration.

WHERE:  The tour will originate at Union Station in Washington, D.C. and continue southwest to Lynchburg on Sept. 30. The scheduled stops, to coincide with local events, are:

o Alexandria Station, 110 Callahan Dr.
         9:50 am to 10:20 a.m., local event starts at 9:30 a.m.
o Burke Centre Station, 10399 Premier Ct.
        10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., local event starts at 10:15 a.m.
o Manassas Station, 9431 West St.
        11:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., local event starts at 11:00 a.m.
o Culpeper Station, 109 South Commerce St.
        12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., local event starts at 12:30 p.m.
o Charlottesville Station, 810 West Main St.
        2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., local event starts at 1:45 p.m.
o Lynchburg Station, 825 Kemper St.
        3:55 p.m., local event starts at 3:30 p.m.

Coverage opportunities at the stations:  Media can cover stories from any of the station stops listed above. Boardman, Moorman, Homer and other officials will hold events and be available for brief interviews during the stops. Governor Kaine will be available at the Charlottesville and Lynchburg stations.

Background: Beginning October 1, Amtrak Virginia, a partnership between the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Amtrak, expands daily round-trip service between Lynchburg, Washington, D.C. and points north along the Northeast Corridor.  The new service provides communities along the US 29 corridor with more travel options and direct links to Northeast destinations.

The new service is sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of a three-year pilot program designed to provide more transportation options for Virginians.  The pilot program also includes new service between Richmond and the Northeast Corridor, slated to begin Dec. 15, 2009.

For more information:  Go to amtrakvirginia.com for additional information on the new rail service.

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