Latest news with #VirginiaRailwayExpress
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Affordable Southern Town Is The Fastest-Growing Suburb In America
As more Americans are leaving cities for slower lives in the suburbs, one Southern spot is gaining newcomers with particular speed. According to a new report from GOBankingRates, the fastest-growing suburb in America is a formerly sleepy northern Virginia town located just 20 miles outside of Washington, D.C. With an astronomical population increase of 887%, Woodbridge, Virginia, didn't just top the list of the country's fastest-growing burbs—it dominated it. The Prince William County town's population jumped from roughly 4,000 residents to 43,000 between 2018 and 2023, per the report. For context, the next suburb on the list, Fulshear, Texas, saw a population increase of 236.7% during the same period. Is there something in the water in Woodbridge? Gold deposits? GOBankingRates researcher CJ Williamson says the reasons people are flocking there are actually quite practical. "There are a multitude of reasons for this population boom, but among them is the fact that many DC-area residents left the city during the pandemic in search of less-populated, nearby suburbs, such as Woodbridge," Williamson told Southern Living. "Our data also shows Woodbridge has a relatively strong livability score (71 out of 100) and a relatively affordable home median price for the DC area, at roughly $500,000 as of February 2025, which may also explain its growing popularity." Situated on a peninsula along the Potomac and Occoquan Rivers, Woodbridge offers a scenic respite from the city without sacrificing easy access. It's conveniently located on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Interstate 95, the region's main artery. When traffic behaves itself, Woodbridge is a 30-minute drive from the nation's capital. It's also home to Potomac Mills, one of the largest outlet malls in the area. Related: This Idyllic Southern Neighborhood Was Just Named The Best Place To Live In The U.S. Read the original article on Southern Living
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia commissions approve $155 million Manassas rail line agreement
(Virginia Railway Express) Owners of the commuter rail system Virginia Railway Express on Thursday signed off on a five-year, $155 million agreement to purchase the Manassas Line, allowing the system to enhance service reliability and provide control over stations and schedules between Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia. The Manassas Line originates at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and goes to Broad Run in Prince William County. The move will give the rail system ownership of Seminary Yard in Alexandria, allowing the system to enhance the existing freight rail yard and construct a midday storage facility. The ownership rights will also give VRE the Broad Run Corridor from Alexandria to Broad Run, the permanent easement to five station platforms and the permanent commuter rail operating easement along the Manassas Line. On Thursday night, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock River Transportation Commission, co-partners of VRE, officially voted at separate meetings to authorize the VRE chief executive officer to execute a funding agreement with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA). The agreement is part of VRE's System Plan 2050 designed to help officials address the public's changing travel patterns, including those of commuting office workers, which have shifted over the past decade. The plan is also focused on maximizing daily riders and expanding daily service offering non-peak and weekend service. 'This is a long-term investment towards the future,' said NVTC Vice Chair Sarah Bagley at the meeting. She also serves as chair of the VRE Operations Board. The decision by the governing bodies comes after VPRA and Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to purchase the Manassas Line last summer. In its Manassas Line Funding Agreement with VPRA, VRE committed to a multi-year funding schedule in exchange for four railroad property interests along the Manassas Line. The groups said the properties are 'critical' to VRE's current and future commuter rail operations. The agreement does not identify the specific source or sources of funds for each scheduled payment. However, the deal does provide a general framework for the funding commitment. Under the agreement, VRE is committing to contributing $155 million to VRPA in six approximately equal payments. The final payment is expected to be on July 10, 2029. The NVTC board discussed that while the agreement appears to be an added cost, investing in acquiring the railroad properties will create savings by cutting back on the rising costs of storing rail cars and leasing the Manassas Line. VRE Chief Financial Officer Mark Schofield said on Thursday having its storage yard could also allow the system to enable other operators to store their railcars. 'The property acquisition piece of this was not something that we had maybe contemplated a couple of years ago, but we are making a very positive trade in terms of the cost of the midday storage yard,' Schofield said on Thursday. Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw added, 'We can't just pick up the railcars and move them to some other track. We're captured (and) that's always a challenging negotiation.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia commissions approve $155 million Manassas rail line agreement
(Virginia Railway Express) Owners of the commuter rail system Virginia Railway Express on Thursday signed off on a five-year, $155 million agreement to purchase the Manassas Line, allowing the system to enhance service reliability and provide control over stations and schedules between Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia. The Manassas Line originates at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and goes to Broad Run in Prince William County. The move will give the rail system ownership of Seminary Yard in Alexandria, allowing the system to enhance the existing freight rail yard and construct a midday storage facility. The ownership rights will also give VRE the Broad Run Corridor from Alexandria to Broad Run, the permanent easement to five station platforms and the permanent commuter rail operating easement along the Manassas Line. On Thursday night, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock River Transportation Commission, co-partners of VRE, officially voted at separate meetings to authorize the VRE chief executive officer to execute a funding agreement with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA). The agreement is part of VRE's System Plan 2050 designed to help officials address the public's changing travel patterns, including those of commuting office workers, which have shifted over the past decade. The plan is also focused on maximizing daily riders and expanding daily service offering non-peak and weekend service. 'This is a long-term investment towards the future,' said NVTC Vice Chair Sarah Bagley at the meeting. She also serves as chair of the VRE Operations Board. The decision by the governing bodies comes after VPRA and Norfolk Southern Railway Company agreed to purchase the Manassas Line last summer. In its Manassas Line Funding Agreement with VPRA, VRE committed to a multi-year funding schedule in exchange for four railroad property interests along the Manassas Line. The groups said the properties are 'critical' to VRE's current and future commuter rail operations. The agreement does not identify the specific source or sources of funds for each scheduled payment. However, the deal does provide a general framework for the funding commitment. Under the agreement, VRE is committing to contributing $155 million to VRPA in six approximately equal payments. The final payment is expected to be on July 10, 2029. The NVTC board discussed that while the agreement appears to be an added cost, investing in acquiring the railroad properties will create savings by cutting back on the rising costs of storing rail cars and leasing the Manassas Line. VRE Chief Financial Officer Mark Schofield said on Thursday having its storage yard could also allow the system to enable other operators to store their railcars. 'The property acquisition piece of this was not something that we had maybe contemplated a couple of years ago, but we are making a very positive trade in terms of the cost of the midday storage yard,' Schofield said on Thursday. Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw added, 'We can't just pick up the railcars and move them to some other track. We're captured (and) that's always a challenging negotiation.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
