DRPT has studied and confirmed the feasibility of passenger rail service from Bristol to Richmond and Washington, DC. The proposed service would feature two daily roundtrips. It would use the existing Norfolk Southern (NS) tracks from Bristol to Lynchburg, where service would branch off to Richmond and Washington, D.C. Necessary investments include station upgrades, storage and maintenance facilities, and a connection between NS and CSX tracks in Richmond.

The Virginia Transportation Act of 2000 includes $9.339 million to fund the capital improvements recommended in this initial study.

Norfolk Southern has also analyzed the proposed Bristol service, recommending capital improvements to minimize potential conflicts with the existing freight service. The total cost of these improvements identified by Norfolk Southern is estimated at $120 million. DRPT is negotiating with Norfolk Southern to propose improvements that are acceptable to both parties.

Activities related to this project currently have $140,000 in Rail Enhancement Funding. For more information, see the Rail Enhancement Fund page.

For questions or additional information regarding this Project, please Contact Us.