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Amtrak service to Roanoke starts 10/31/17


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 July 2017 - 08:19 PM

Roanoke, VA Times, 7/18/17:

 


 

Passenger rail service returns to Roanoke on Halloween

 


 

Amtrak passenger service will resume Oct. 31 in Roanoke.


 

A train will reach town about noon Oct. 30 for a ribbon cutting-type event, said Kelsey Webb, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.


 

The following day, a Tuesday, passenger service to and from Roanoke will begin anew after a 38-year hiatus.

 

 

Full story



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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 07 August 2017 - 06:20 PM

Roanoke, VA Times letter to the Editor, 8/7/17:

 


 

Letter: Advice for Amtrak riders

 

 

Your July 19 article on new Amtrak service in Roanoke (“Rail service starts on Halloween") reminded me of a kind of prediction I made nearly 30 years ago when I wrote about what this future service might look like for readers of The Roanoke Times.

 

Letter

 

Of course having taken the Cardinal, a long distance train, the writer did not emulate what Roanoke is going to get -- an extension of a Northeast Regional day train with no sleepers, no blankets, no pillows unless you bring your own.



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#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 13 August 2017 - 05:43 PM

Column in Roanoke, VA Times, 8/12/17:
 

Tickets are (kind of) available for the inaugural train ride from Roanoke

 
 
There’s a burning question on Jan Arthur’s mind, and the Salem woman is probably not the only one in this train-crazy valley seeking the answer. When will people be able to book tickets for the inaugural ride on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional passenger train out of Roanoke?

 
Column


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#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 06:52 PM

Amtrak news release:

 
Amtrak Northeast Regional Adds Stop in Roanoke
September 7, 2017
 
Tickets now available for purchase

 

 

WASHINGTON – The Amtrak Northeast Regional will serve the city of Roanoke, Va. (RNK), beginning Oct. 31. Tickets are now available to purchase for travel to and from the city in the Roanoke Valley nestled in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

The train will stop in downtown Roanoke at a newly-constructed passenger platform with a canopy located at 55 Norfolk Ave., SW. Public parking facilities are available adjacent to the Roanoke station stop.

 

The Northeast Regional will extend from Lynchburg and provide a same-seat trip to and from Roanoke. The train will stop in Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Culpepper, Manassas, Burke Centre, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and other cities along the Northeast Corridor.

 

Customers will experience a comfortable and enjoyable way to travel on a national network serving more 500 destinations, and benefits such as no middle seat, and the ability to move about the train.

 

The Northeast Regional features Coach and Business Class offering outlets for mobile devices, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The Café Car

offers sandwiches, salads, snacks and hot and cold beverages, including a variety of wine, beer and soda.

 

Amtrak has the friendliest baggage allowance in the travel industry. Customers can bring two bags and two carry-ons, collectively weighing up to 150 pounds, for free. Amtrak welcomes cats and dogs weighing 20 pounds or less for only $25. Make sure to bring the appropriate carrier. Some restrictions apply.

 

Ticketing and reservations can be done on Amtrak.com, Amtrak mobile apps, or by calling 800-USA-Rail. Boarding documents can be self-printed, or customers using a smartphone or mobile device can present the eTicket to the conductor by opening a document in their email.

 

Amtrak, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and the city of Roanoke partnered to bring intercity passenger rail service back to the city for the first time in four decades.

 

 



#5 KevinKorell

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Posted 08 September 2017 - 04:19 PM

WTOP Radio, 9/8/17:

 


After almost 40 years, Amtrak now selling tickets for Roanoke train service

 

For the first time in decades, Amtrak is selling tickets for train service out of Roanoke.

 

Details



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#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 14 September 2017 - 12:21 PM

Northeast Regional timetable including Roanoke by train is now on Amtrak's site here.   The current Thruway bus connection (run by Valley Metro's SmartWay) between Lynchburg and Roanoke will be cancelled effective with the start of train service.  Those who have reservations for the connecting bus will be informed that they are automatically being switched to the train.   There will continue to be Thruway/SmartWay connecting bus service between Roanoke and Blacksburg (Virginia Tech).

 

Information about the switch from SmartWay Connector bus to the train is here.



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#7 KevinKorell

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Posted 15 September 2017 - 02:40 PM

WDBJ-TV, Channel 7 in Roanoke, VA, 9/14/17:

 


Amtrak officials encourage by Roanoke ticket sales

 

Earlier this month, tickets for Roanoke's Amtrak went on sale and Amtrak officials like what they see so far.

 

More



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#8 KevinKorell

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Posted 25 September 2017 - 01:27 AM

Roanoke, VA Times, 9/25/17:
 

 

When traveling on Amtrak from Roanoke, pets permitted, railroad says


 
When Amtrak announced service to Roanoke starting next month, it also disclosed that the train would not accept checked luggage. No bikes, either, unlike in some areas of the country, the railroad said.

On the plus side, riders can bring two personal items and two carry-on bags, one of which can be a caged pet.

 


​Read this.



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#9 KevinKorell

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Posted 28 September 2017 - 01:45 AM

WSLS-TV, Channel 10 in Roanoke, VA, 9/27/17:

 


 

Police warning Roanoke drivers about soon-to-be Amtrak railroad crossings

 

Just over a month away from Amtrak launching rail service in Roanoke, police are voicing some major concerns about how drivers will handle the increased traffic.

 

They're stepping up patrols and talking to drivers to try to get this message out before the first train leaves the Star City on Halloween.

 

 

Details



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#10 CNJRoss

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Posted 04 October 2017 - 06:10 PM

The Roanoke (VA) Star, 10/3/17:
 

Forty Years In Coming: Amtrak Arrives on October 31st

 

 

After an absence of almost 40 years passenger train service returns to downtown Roanoke via Amtrak on October 31, a day after the ceremonial first train arrives with dignitaries at the new platform that is nearing completion along Norfolk Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

 

The Northeast Regional will stop in Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Culpepper, Manassas, Burke Centre, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and other cities along the Northeast Corridor.

 

Amtrak spokesperson Kimberly Woods says the service that originates in Roanoke and extends all the way to Boston can now be ticketed online at the Amtrak.com site. Seats can also be reserved on the Amtrak mobile app or by calling 1-800-USA-Rail.  “The benefit is that customers can travel from Roanoke and we will offer a same-seat trip to [their destination]. They can get on and stay to their destination.”

 

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