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The Virginia Railway Express last week approved a fiscal 2025 budget that makes way for a 5% fare increase and potentially new weekend service at a time when the commuter line is struggling to lure back riders lost to remote work.
The fare hikes, which take effect July 1, are the first increases since 2020. VRE officials said the move is not primarily motivated by lower ridership numbers, according to WTOP. Costs of service — number of trains, facilities, labor and equipment — have inflated greatly since 2020.
Also included in the new budget is a streamlining of fare structure.
Ridership still remains two-thirds below pre-pandemic numbers with about 6,115 average daily riders, but the transit agency projects growth to 8,500 daily passengers in the new fiscal year.
The budget includes funding for three trains to run on Saturdays on VRE’s main lines: Manassas and Fredericksburg. But agreements with VRE’s host railroads – Amtrak, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern – must be reached before weekend service can begin.
“While VRE would like to begin service as early in the new fiscal year as possible, we cannot guarantee that trains will be running that first Saturday, July 6,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We are in talks with our host railroads, which are working to expedite the process – but there is no deadline.”
The agency hopes the move to Saturday service, paired with the addition of slashed fares for kids, will encourage families to use the service for leisure in the region. Children under age 18 can now ride for free.
The budget, which totals $119.9 million, was accompanied by the approval of a $1.3 billion six-year capital improvement program. The program, which is about two-thirds funded, includes improvements at 12 stations, three maintenance and storage facilities and one parking lot. Construction of a new parking garage, the purchase of rolling stock and projects pertaining to both asset management and information technology are also accounted for.
The new budget is an increase of $11 million, or 10%, over the 2024 budget. In addition to the fare hike, jurisdictional contributions toward the service increased by 14%.
VRE is a joint project of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.
