18 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Johnson City, TN Press, 10/28/18:

 

 

Should Amtrak come to the Tri-Cities?

 

 

As reported by staff writer Zach Vance, a group from Bristol is working to convince transportation company Amtrak to extend its passenger rail service to the Twin City.

 

 

Continue

[KevinKorell]

Editorial in Bristol, VA Herald-Courier, 1/9/20:

 

 

    Our View: There's still good news in Amtrak proposal that leaves out Bristol   

 

 

Don’t give up on the idea just yet of passenger rail service coming to Abingdon and Bristol, despite the news that a recently announced passenger rail plan for Virginia does not include the extension of Amtrak trains from Roanoke to our region.

 

Editorial

[KevinKorell]

Bristol, VA Herald-Courier, 5/12/22:
 

 

    Study explores Amtrak service to Bristol 

 

 

Extending Amtrak passenger rail service to the Twin City could cost between $500 million and $1.5 billion and attract up to 15,500 annual riders, a new study shows.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Editorial in Kingsport, TN Times-News, 6/6/22:

 

 

     Editorial: Virginia should revisit Amtrak study    

 

 

Extension of Virginia’s state-supported Amtrak railroad service from Roanoke to Bristol could cost up to $1.5 billion while attracting up to 15,500 riders annually, according to a new study by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

 

Editorial

[KevinKorell]

WVTF Radio, Roanoke, VA, 10/4/22:

 

 

  New rail plan includes Amtrak to New River Valley, but excludes Bristol    

 

 

A new plan for developing passenger and freight rail infrastructure across Virginia was released last week by Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (or DRPT). The plan includes details for 174 total rail projects totaling $5.8 billion, but leaves out funding for an expansion of Amtrak passenger trains from the New River Valley into Bristol. In an emailed statement to Radio IQ, a spokesperson for DRPT said “There is no funding at this time to support expanding passenger rail to Bristol.”

 

Story is here.

 

Cross-posted in New River Valley and Bristol threads.

[CNJRoss]

WCYB-TV, Bristol, VA 10/7/22

 

Virginia rail plan includes no funding to extend service to Bristol

 

 

BRISTOL, Va. (WCYB) — A $5.8 billion Virginia rail plan extending service to the New River Valley. But there is no funding beyond that point.

 

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation acknowledges significant interest in bringing rail service to Bristol.

 

"We couldn't do everything all at once," said VPRA Executive Director DJ Stadtler.  . . .

 

 

Continue here with video report.

[KevinKorell]

Bristol, VA Herald-Courier,  7/8/23:
 

 

  Bristol gets voice, vote on Amtrak passenger service effort     

 

 

The Twin City's efforts to secure Amtrak passenger service now have a voice and a vote on the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority board of directors.

 

Here is the story.

 

There is a hidden message in this article.  Many say that Bristol cannot be the end of the line, that it just be a station on the way to locations in Tennessee.   A station at the end of the line has to pay for facilities to turn and maintain the trains and store them between runs.   Not being the last or first station saves those costs. 

 

And consider a place like Lynchburg, VA which for a while was the end of the line for some Northeast Regionals.  They paid for a secure storage facility next to the station, and then when service was extended further to Roanoke, the Lynchburg facilities suddenly became needless.

[KevinKorell]

Cardinal News,  1/29/24:
 

       Cost of extending Amtrak to Christiansburg could triple, raising concerns about future extension to Bristol  

 
 
 
For all those who want to see Amtrak extended to Bristol, pay attention to whats happening in the New River Valley, where efforts to locate a passenger rail station have hit what one key legislator calls a setback that has raised alarms about how likely it will be for trains to go further west.

 
This is the story.      Cross-posted in NRV and Bristol threads.

[KevinKorell]

Bristol, VA Herald-Courier, 3/27/24:
 

   Amtrak service delayed to Christiansburg; changes could impact Bristol    

 
 
Passenger rail service to the New River Valley has been pushed back to at least 2028 and potential changes there could impact extending service to Bristol.

 
Story is cross-posted in Bristol and NRV threads.