Roanoke is the Best Train Vacation in Virginia


On October 1, 2009, Amtrak extended its Northeast (NE) service from DC to Lynchburg.  Because of its success, on July 19, 2011, Roanoke initiated the Smart Way Connector Bus (www.smartwaybus.com), linking Amtrak's NE Lynchburg Train from Lynchburg to Roanoke (daily) and VA Tech/Blacksburg (Fri - Sun).

Because of these two new services, Roanoke is now the best train vacation in Virginia, one that is very accessible from Washington, D.C., the entire Northeast US, and world wide through easy connections from DC's three (3) airports:

National:  Take subway from airport for two stops to Alexandria Amtrak Station.

BWI: Take short shuttle bus from airport to Amtrak BWI Station.

Dulles:  Take Bus 5A ($6 cash or Smarttrip) from airport to Roslyn and take subway to Alexandria Amtrak Station.

Follow this link for all the details for a Roanoke Train Vacation.


Roanoke: Virginia's Best Train Vacation

College Students are Big Supporters of Amtrak's Lynchburg Train

Since Amtrak started Virginia's first state-supported train on October 1, 2009, by extending Northeast Regional Service to Lynchburg, students have been important supporters of the Lynchburg Train. At the Manassas Station, I regularly see UVA, Liberty, and Randolph students. A conductor once informed me that 350 UVA students had boarded a single Lynchburg Train one fall break morning!

I have also seen at least one student from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.  VT students take the new Smart Way Connector Bus (just started July 19, 2011, and running at four times the projected rider numbers) on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday to link with the Amtrak NE Regional train in Lynchburg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRGTFMSEYTc&list=UUp99-k4FwW382x10HvrCR0g&index=9&feature=plcp
Having strong student support will increase ridership in the short term and and long term.  These students will be become the "Leaders of Tomorrow" and, having actually ridden a train, will be in a much better position from their personal experience to encourage future passenger service when decision makers are considering additional service.

Today, May 15, 2012, I had a Letter to Editor published in the Roanoke Times entitled, "Bedford Needs a Taxi Service".  http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/letters/wb/308785.

The letter made the case that Bedford, Virginia, a small city between Lynchburg (east) and Roanoke (west), and largest city in Southwest, Virginia, needs a taxi service to increase vacationers coming to Bedford.

Currently persons arriving on the new (July 19, 2011) and wildly popular Smart Way Amtrak Connector Bus from Lynchburg have two unacceptable options:

1) pay $25 to $35 for a taxi from Roanoke or Lynchburg or

2) walk 1 to 3 miles to their accommodations.

After using a taxi from the Visitor center and their lodgings, a visitor could use a taxi to visit the D Day Memorial (a favorite with Veterans, many of whom cannot or will not drive on truck-clogged interstates), other historic sites, and many small shops. Later rides would take them back to their motels or bed and breakfast locations and, finally back to the Bedford Visitor Center for the return trip in the morning on the Smart Way Connector Bus.  Locals without cars can also use a taxi to doctor's and other appointments and to reach the Connector bus to take day trips to Roanoke, Blacksburg, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Manassas.

Certainly, when Amtrak replaces the bus, people stepping off the train will expect a taxi, or most will bypass Bedford for other places that have taxis.

I have several youtube videos about the Smart Way Connector Bus under the name "trainmandan100".  I would like to do a video on Bedford, but I dare not until they have a taxi service.

New Riders Guide for Amtrak Lynchburg Train and Stations for Carpooling Virginia Tech and Radford Students

• The new Amtrak Train, shown above at Lynchburg , began service October 1, 2009, stopping at the cities or locations listed below and also serving nearby areas.
• These stops and nearby areas are Virginia and Non-Virginia locations where very high concentrations of Virginia Tech and Radford students live.

Amtrak Stops and Nearby Areas Served

A. Virginia Locations

Charlottesville: Albemarle Co

Culpeper: Stafford Co, Fauquier Co, Fredericksburg

Manassas: Fauquier Co, Pr William Co, Loudoun Co, Leesburg

Burke Centre: Fairfax Co, Fairfax City, Loudoun Co

Alexandria: Arlington Co, Nat Airport (Metro), Dulles Airport (Metro, 5A Bus)

B. Selected, Non-Virginia Locations

DC: Arlington Co, Montgomery Co, Prince George's Co

New Carrollton, MD: Montgomery Co, Prince George's Co

BWI Airport: Southern Suburban Baltimore

Baltimore, MD: Greater Baltimore

Wilmington, DE: Greater Wilmington

Philadelphia, PA: Greater Philadelphia

Newark, NJ: Greater Newark

New York, NY: Greater New York, Southern Connecticut, Long Island

New Haven, CT: Greater New Haven

Hartford, CT: Greater Hartford, U of Connecticut

Springfield, MA: Greater Springfield

Providence, RI: Greater Providence

Boston, MA: Greater Boston

The new Amtrak train is a great, cost effective option for VT & Radford students who wish to carpool to Amtrak's Lynchburg Kemper Street Station. However, because very few students will have used Amtrak and the Lynchburg Train Station previously, I have posted this “New Riders Guide” to make their initial trip an enjoyable one:

New Riders Guide for Amtrak Lynchburg Train and Stations

Amtrak Lynchburg Train

Departure/Arrival Times

Leave: 7:38AM (M-F), Train 176; 9:59AM (Sat, Sun), Train 156

Arrive: 8:36PM (M-F), Train 171; 7:39PM (Sat), Train 147); 8:29PM (Sun), Train 145

Travel Times

Charlottesville (1hr,15min); Culpeper (2hr,6min); Manassas (2hr,40min); Burke Centre (2hr,57min); Alexandria (3hr,22min); and DC (3hr,35).

Schedule

Go to www.amtrak.com, “Timetables”, “Northeast, Mid-Atlantic & Virginia Service”.

Reservations

All seats reserved. Reserve at www.amtrak.com or 1-800-USA-Rail.

Cheapest Tickets: 14 Day/Student Advantage

Payment Options

1. Pay at time of reservation, receive bar coded receipt, scan at “Quik-Trak” & print.
2. Do not pay at time of reservation but receive Reservation No., and pay with credit card (“Quik-Trak” machine or station agent) or cash (station agent).

Lynchburg Station

Address: 825 Kemper Street, Lynchburg, VA 24501 Tel: 434-847-8247

On Day of Travel

Check if train is on-time (1-800-USA-Rail or www.amtrak.com).

Departure from VT (First Time)

Leave 2hr, 45 Minutes prior to departure to allow time to find station, park, and pick up ticket (at window or Quik-Trak Machine).

Other Stations

On Day of Return

From Burke Centre, Manassas, or Culpeper (no Amtrak agent or Quik-Trak machine), show conductor 1) ticket or 2) Reservation No. & pay with credit card or cash.

Best Route from VT to Lynchburg Train Station

1. Take Rt 460 to I-81 (Exit 118) and go North on I-81 to Exit 150 (Alt Rt 220).
2. South on Rt 220 to Bonsack (Rt 460) and East on Rt 460 (Lynchburg Turnpike) to Bus 460 (Timberlake Road).
3. North on Bus 460 (Timberland Road), continuing on Fort Ave to Kemper St.
4. Left on Kemper St and park in Free Long Term Parking (24 spaces) on right or park on street (7 spaces, each side of Kemper St). Short walk to Station.

Burke Centre to become Amtrak Station on January 18, 2010!

Thanks to cooperation among Amtrak, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transporation (VDRPT), and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), the Burke Centre VRE Station will officially also become an Amtrak Station on January 18, 2010.

On that day, the new Boston/Springfield to Lynchburg, VA train, which had been stopping only on weekdays (except Holidays), but not weekends, will make its first Holiday stop at Burke Centre.

The following Saturday (Jan 23) and Sunday (Jan 24), the Lynchburg Train would begin stopping on the weekends (Trains 145, 147, and 156).

Now persons in Western Fairfax County, which has one of the highests per capita incomes in the United States, will have the convenience of traveling to and from Washington DC and anywhere that Amtrak and other commuter rail, light rail, and subway services travel.

For example, riders can travel to and from Burke Center daily to Lynchburg, Charlottesville, DC, BWI Airport, National Airport (via subway connection), Dulles Airport (via subway connection to Roslyn and 5A Bus), Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelpha, New York, New Haven, Hartford, Springfield, Providence, and Boston and many more towns and cities!

I expect the Lynchburg weekend train to be very popular with college students, as well as seniors and business travelers.

In the future, Amtrak may even install a "Quick-Trak" machine for printing off reserved train tickets.

Amtrak Corrects Website Map of Northeast (NE) Area in Virginia to Include Lynchburg

On about January 9, 2010, Amtrak revised its website map in the "On-Time Performance" section to include within the Northeast (NE) Corridor Service Area the DC - Lynchburg Corridor.

I had noticed on January 3 that, in contrast to the caption of their maps of the NE Corridor within Virginia, the map itself only included the DC - Newport News Arc, suggesting the absurdity of Lynchburg being located between these two cities. I E-Mail Amtrak about this error and, to their credit, had corrected the mistake in six (6) days.

The question of what trains fall within Amtrak's NE Corridor is a bit complicated. The new DC - Lynchburg train that started October 1, 2009, is actually an extension of existing NE Corridor Service. Therefore, Amtrak considers this new train a NE Corridor train, which qualifies it for cheaper fares, a definite advantage over the Cardinal (Chicago to NY) and the Crescent (New Orleans to NY). These alternative trains, which have been in service for over 30 years, share a common route with the new Amtrak Lynchburg Train (Lynchburg or Charlottesville to NY). However Amtrak considers the Cardinal and Crescent to be "long distance", not "NE Corridor" trains and not eligible for the discounts enjoyed by NE Corridor Trains.

So, it is understandable that, with such a complicated set of definitions, even Amtrak's cartographers can occasionally become confused.

Connecting Amtrak’s Lynchburg Train to Other Cities Via Bus and Van

I am developing a document that explores connecting the Lynchburg Train to other cities via bus and vanpool to increase ridership and reduce subsidies to the point of self-sufficiency by:

1. providing more persons with cheaper access to the train
2. providing opportunities for bus companies to expand their routes
3. providing individuals the option of starting a part time van business
4. allowing persons to sell one of their cars because of bus/van option

This list includes some suggested potential stations and cities that buses and vans might connect through specific transient corridors:

Station	Cities	Routes
Burke Centre	Herndon	Fairfax Pkwy
	Lower Fairfax Co	Fairfax Pkwy
Manassas	Warrenton Woodbridge Loudoun Co/Dulles	Rt 29 Pr Wil Pkwy Rt 28,Rt 7
	Front Royal, Haymarket, Gainesville	I-66
Culpeper	Gordonsville, Orange Ruckersville, Madison	Rt 15 Rt 29
Charlottesville	Staunton, Waynesboro Lovingston	I-64 Rt 29
Lynchburg	VT, Christiansburg, Roanoke, Bedford	Rt 460,I-81
	Amherst	Rt 29
	Rocky Mount	Rt 220