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Falling VRE ridership could cost $900,000
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Commuters board a VRE train at Union Station in Washington. Continued declines in ridership will cost the government-run train system $900,000 in revenue this year.
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Continued declines in Virginia Railway Express commuter use are on track to cost the government-run train system $900,000 in revenue this year.
After recovering from widespread delays and equipment problems that plagued the railway last summer, the drop this year raised more concerns about how work-at-home programs decrease railroad demand.
Suburban federal employees are now often commuting only three or four days each week, contributing to a 4.5 percent overall rider decrease this year that will affect future budgets and planning, railway spokesman Mark Roeber said.
"We are looking at Wednesdays when we're capturing almost 16,000 riders, and yet on the edge days, Mondays and Fridays, we're in the high 13,000s," Roeber said.
The average decline of 700 riders per day from 15,200 to 14,500 comes as VRE is considering expansion to Haymarket, Gainesville, Spotsylvania and Fauquier County.
"We're poised to continue to grow and we have to struggle with ways to fill up the trains," Roeber said.
The hole in the budget will be offset by larger-than-expected contributions from government grants and unexpected savings.
After completion of the Quantico Bridge in March, some delays that have long plagued commuters continue, but have been much less frequent. Trains that were more than five minutes late half the time in the summer of 2006 are now that late only 10 percent of the time.
The Virginia Association of Railway Patrons said 13 delays related to equipment trouble in May was excessive, and timeliness will remain an issue until VRE is able to complete its plans to purchase or rent new locomotives in 2008.
"Reliability is the greatest cause for concern, otherwise the service isn't bad," said Stephen Dunham, the VARP chairman who commutes from the Fredericksburg station to Crystal City each day.
"Compared to driving, it's reasonably comfortable and convenient and actually saves money, but if you can't be sure you'll get to work on time, it might not be worth the savings," Dunham said.
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:27 PM MST on Tue., Aug. 28, 2007 re: "VRE ridership up; commuters likely to ask for later trains"
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3:56 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 18, 2007
re: "New VRE modifications may push price tag past $86M"
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3:49 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 18, 2007
re: "New VRE modifications may push price tag past $86M"
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3:40 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 18, 2007
re: "New VRE modifications may push price tag past $86M"
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5:12 AM MST on Wed., Aug. 15, 2007
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6:06 AM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007
re: "Fairfax would save $1.2M under VRE restructuring"
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Examiner Reader said:
I think that we need more funding of rail. The big cost to the state is more roads. Rail is a cheaper and greener alternative and a relaxing way to travel.
242 agree | 232 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Japan? JAPAN? WHAT?, Americans can`t figure out how to keep a wheelchair from rolling? I guess it`s our great public school educational system! VRE IS NUTS! CORRUPTION! SOMEBODY HAS TO BE STEALING! JAPAN???
237 agree | 230 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
$350,000 for seat belts and a door lock? Where are buying this stuff; form the same people who charged U.S. DOD $1,000,000 for TWO LOCK WASHERS? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?
261 agree | 239 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"cost-cutting measures"!?! What COST-CUTTING MEASURES? WHO'S RUNNING THE ZOO? ARE YOU GUYS INSANE? Usually when you CUT COSTS things COST "LESS" NOT "MORE"!!!! GOOD GRIEF!
241 agree | 243 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I used VRE, and I have stopped, by the time it got to the Rippon or Woodbridge station , they was no seats and I refused to stand, when people asked for longer trains the answer was the platform was not long enough, wrong answer!! many times I have had to walk back from the quiet car to exit the train so that no problem. the problem is it grew to fast too quick and they were not ready for the growth. So now I ride the bus I allways get a seat.
260 agree | 266 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Local Governments need to immediately initiate construction of high-density housing within walking distance of the VRE Stations. More vehicles would be taken off of the road and old commercial structures and outdated housing could be torn down and upgraded. It is time to bring Route One out of the 50's.
271 agree | 385 disagree
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