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VRE Service Cancelled during Winter Storm Toby


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 March 2018 - 06:50 AM

VRE Train Talk Alert 4:09 am 3/21/18:
 

VRE Service Canceled Today 3/21/2018

 

Attention Passengers:

 

Due to the nature of the storm and in efforts to ensure your safety VRE will cancel service today, March 21, 2018.

 

While we may be able to get passengers to their destinations this morning, the deteriorating weather conditions throughout the day is of great concern for getting everyone home safely tonight. Keeping you all safe is our number one priority.

VRE plans to operate full service tomorrow, Thursday, March 22, 2018.

 

As always please stay tuned to Train Talk and vre.org for the most up to date information regarding service. 

 

Be safe!

 

VRE

 



#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 March 2018 - 06:51 AM

VRE Train Talk Alert 4:37 am 3/21/18:
 

VRE Offices Are Closed Today, March 21, 2018

 

Please keep in mind that VRE offices are closed as well.

 

We will resume regular business hours (7:00am-7:00pm) Thursday, March 22, 2018.

 



#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 March 2018 - 07:00 PM

VRE Train Talk Alert 6:51 pm 3/21/18:
 

VRE Service Update

 

The snow from today’s storm is tapering off and VRE facility crews have been mobilized to all stations to begin the clearing and treating of parking lots and platforms in preparation for tomorrow’s service.

 

Please stay tuned to Train Talk, www.vre.org, or our social media accounts for service updates.  We will confirm the level of service for tomorrow no later than 4 am.  Our decision will be based on feedback from our host railroads, other regional transportation providers, as well as our own mechanical and facility crews.

 

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through what we hope is the last storm of the season. 

 



#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 March 2018 - 09:03 PM

VRE Train Talk  eNews 9:50 pm 3/21/18:
 

VRE plans to Operate an "S" Schedule tomorrow, March 22nd

 

VRE plans to operate an "S" schedule tomorrow, Thursday, March 22nd. If there are any changes to the level of service we will notify before 4 am. 

 

In the event you are new to our service and need to know what an "S" schedule is: it means that the only trains that will operate are those marked with an "S" next to its train number on the schedule.

 

Please stay tuned to Train Talk and www.vre.org for updates as well as schedule information.

 



#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 22 March 2018 - 06:20 AM

VRE Train Talk Alert 3:46am3/22/18:

VRE Will Operate an "S" Schedule Today, March 22nd

 

Due to the reduced level of service from our host railroads, VRE will operate an “S” schedule today, March, 22nd.

 

Our facility crews have cleared and treated stations for this morning's commute. Please exercise caution while you are traveling through parking lots and at stations platforms. 

 

Due to reduced service, please expect crowing, especially on the later morning trains.

 

VRE offices will be open during their normal business hours (7:00am to 7:00pm).

 

 

We appreciate your patience through the storm. 

 

Be safe! And as always, Thanks for riding VRE!

 



#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 23 March 2018 - 10:00 PM

VRE Train Talk eNews 3/23/18:

 

This Week’s Service Adjustments

 

 

We recognize the inconvenience and challenges our riders faced this week as a result of the changes in service level. While we stand by our decision to suspend service on Wednesday, and operate an “S” schedule yesterday, a little more background on how we arrived at those decisions may help everyone understand why they were necessary.

 

Leading into any potentially severe weather event, VRE participates in a series of “Snow Calls” organized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG). Participants in the call include other transit providers like Metro, MARC trains, Amtrak, and the regional and local bus operators.  The National Weather Service gives an update of the timeline, projected severity, and any other estimated impact of the storm. The DC, Maryland and Virginia Departments of Transportation give updates on their status and mobilization plans to accommodate vehicular traffic, and then the transportation providers like VRE, share their respective status and plans. Representatives from Federal, State, and Local governments give updates on the planned status of schools and government offices.

 

The calls generally occur at 9:00 pm the evening prior to an event which may affect commuter travel, and again at 3:00 am just prior to the morning commute. This allows everyone to have the most current information with which to make service decisions.

 

On Wednesday morning’s 3:00 am call, the weather forecast called for accumulating snow and conditions which would hamper travel beginning during the morning rush period and extending into and through the evening rush hours.

 

VRE’s decision to alter service is based primarily on our ability to operate safely through the storm. Part of the determination includes whether passengers can get safely to and from our stations. The decision by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to close or offer liberal leave and telework options assists VRE in determining service level only. 

 

We have operated on days when OPM closes, as long as it is safe to do so. When this occurs, we generally operate an “S” schedule because we know ridership will be down significantly. On Wednesday, we decided not operate because the storm was expected to create significant snow accumulation throughout the day, and we could not guarantee passengers returning to their cars in the evening service would be able to safely get home.

 

VRE must consider the entire railroad network on which we operate. Wednesday’s storm which was still impacting the Northeastern United States on Thursday forced Amtrak to cancel several trains and adjust their own service levels. As Amtrak began ramping their service back to normal on Thursday, there was still significant congestion in Union Station. Since VRE utilizes an Amtrak yard for midday storage of our trains, and since the facilities were already congested with the Amtrak equipment, storing all of our trains was not an option. This required us to operate on an “S” schedule. We did our best to accommodate the 2 hour delayed opening for the government by making sure our latest trains had the most cars, but the total ridership resulted in significant crowding. Similarly, the service yesterday evening resulted in excessive crowding on several trains. 

 

We apologize to everyone who had to deal with an uncomfortable ride yesterday and appreciate your feedback and understanding when events like this occur.

 

 






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