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

Today, January 7, 2010, Amtrak Posts New NE Train Schedule on Website, but Not Lynchburg Flyer

On January 7, 2010, Amtrak posted a new schedule of its NE Service, including these trains that travel in the DC to Lynchburg Corridor:

Cardinal,

Crescent, and

New Lynchburg Train (145, 147, 171, 156, and 176).

Unfortunately, Amtrak did not post the Lynchburg Flyer, an ongoing oversight on their part.

One can download the new schedule from "www.Amtrak.com", click on "Schedules", and look for one marked, "Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Virginia Service".

"Ridership of Amtrak Explodes" Letter to Editor Appears in News and Messenger, January 5, 2010

Here is a reprint of the Letter to Editor that News and Messenger published January 5, 2010:

Ridership of Amtrak Explodes

Thank you for reprinting Ray Reed's Dec. 21 article in the News & Messenger. He was first to publish Amtrak's startling official performance figures following October's first month of the first daily train in the D.C.-Lynchburg Corridor in 30 years, first subsidized train in Virginia and first direct service in 170 years to points North of New York City.

Mr. Reed reported that:

—Actual Ridership (8,500) was double Expected Ridership.

—Ridership on competing Crescent Service remained strong.

—Ridership (all trains) increased 68 percent (highest in Virginia) at the Lynchburg Station and 37 percent (Fourth highest in Virginia) at the Charlottesville Station from Oct 2008.

—Fares produced 87 percent more revenue than expected.

—Virginia's subsidy was only $48,000, rather than the budgeted $242,000.

Virginia published additional ridership details at http://www.AmtrakVirginia.com, showing that Manassas and Culpeper recorded the second highest (54 percent) and third highest (52 percent) increase in ridership in Virginia, between October 2008 and October 2009.

Such breathtaking performance figures suggest that people are drawn to the many benefits of intercity passenger trains: safer, less stressful, more economical for singles and couples, more enjoyable, and more reliable than driving a car on crowded highways of U.S. 29, or Interstates 81, 66 and 95, filled with too many cars and trucks and too many road-raged, cell phone distracted drivers.

Unofficial November and December figures show rides per day reaching 460 or three times the projected 140! On a recent Tuesday, 25 boarded the morning train at Manassas. Any slowdown in ridership will be countered by the increased promotion at stations and Web sites where persons access the beautiful flyer (see above); and by "word of mouth" from satisfied riders.

During three months of operation, Amtrak cannot meet the demand for schedules at Union Station. Amtrak, VRE and Virginia are considering allowing trains to stop at Burke Centre on weekends. Virginia could soon ask Amtrak to estimate the cost of a feeder bus service from Bristol to Lynchburg. Other bus connections are also being considered. Finally, Amtrak will introduce the more convenient, paperless tickets next year.

Based on initial October official figures and later unofficial figures, we should expect a new day of intercity train travel in the D.C.- Manassas-Lynchburg Corridor!

DANIEL PEACOCK

Manassas

Who knows why Amtrak does not post the Lynchburg Flyer Schedule on its Website?

Does anyone have any theories why Amtrak does not post the colorful promotional Flyer and Schedule on its website where it has posted all of its other flyers, schedules, and promotional material?

Posting the Flyer costs Amtrak nothing and reaches anyone in the world with a computer and internet connection, making it the most cost effective means of advertising the first subsidized train in Virginia.

The State of Virginia gave Amtrak $23,000 to promote the new Lynchburg Train. What is the problem about posting the Flyer on its website for free.

For the past three (3) months, I have been asking Amtrak to post the Flyer but, to date, have received no response.

Can anyone offer a suggestion why the Flyer has been absent from its website since the beginning of the service on October 1, 2009?