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The Virginia Railway Express is receiving $25 million in federal funding through a U.S. Department of Transportation grant to support the L’Enfant Station and Fourth Track Project.
The funds, announced last week by U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats from Virginia, come from the competitive BUILD — Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development — grant program.
L’Enfant Station in Washington, D.C., is VRE’s busiest stop, used by roughly 45% of all riders, according to the agency, making it one of the most significant congestion points in the region’s rail corridor, where limited track capacity constrains both VRE and Amtrak operations.
The federal grant will help fund improvements at the station and construct a fourth main track in the corridor between the L’Enfant and Virginia interlockings, easing congestion at the point in the system where it matters most for the greatest number of riders, according to a news release.
“L’Enfant Station is the heart of the VRE system, used by nearly half of all VRE riders,” Katie Choe, CEO of VRE, said in the release. “This $25 million investment allows us to address one of our most critical constraints. Adding a fourth track at this location will relieve congestion, improve on-time performance, and unlock the flexibility we need to grow service for years to come, while our station improvements will make L’Enfant Station safer, more efficient, and easier for all of our passengers to navigate.”
Choe called the project “the last piece of the puzzle to unlock the significant service increases beginning in 2030 as part of VRE’s System Plan 2050.”
Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey, who chairs the VRE Operations Board, welcomed the news.
“On behalf of the VRE Operations Board, I’d like to express my gratitude to our federal partners for recognizing the immense value this project provides both VRE and intercity passenger rail,” Bailey said in the release. “Entering this period of significant transformation, VRE is steadfast in its commitment to deliver results on a slate of capital projects that revolutionize passenger rail in the region and support long-term growth across the commonwealth.”
The BUILD grant program provides funding for road, rail, transit and port projects. Under the terms of the award, VRE and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission will work with the federal Department of Transportation to complete the requirements necessary to execute a grant agreement.
VRE is the nation’s 13th largest commuter rail service, connecting central and Northern Virginia with Washington, D.C. Its two lines, Manassas and Fredericksburg, serve 19 stations, including two — L’Enfant and Union Station — in D.C.
