If Meredith Richards is right, by October 1, citizens of Charlottesville will be able to book a seat on a commuter train and actually find a spot.

Richards, Chairman of the Piedmont Rail Coalition and former city councilor, announced that the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation (VDRPT) has given the go ahead to bring additional passenger service to the Route 29 corridor. 

“This is an important day for public transportation in Virginia,” said Richards, who has been advocating for a more reliable rail service between Lynchburg and Washington D.C. since 2005. The CTB and the VDRPT have approved agreements with CSX, AMTRAK and the Virginia Railway Express that were needed to make updated passenger service a reality, according to a press release from Richards.

“In these times of unstable gas prices, environmental climate change and increasing congestion on crowded roads, the need for more frequent and reliable passenger service is growing more urgent every day,” said Richards.

Previously, the VDRPT had determined that approximately $464 million from the Rail Enhancement Fund and private and local matching grants are available over the next six years for capital costs. Of that money, $39.5 million are listed in the I-81/U.S. 29 corridor that includes track improvements for a new train from Lynchburg to Washington.