The Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is working to increase access to passenger rail transportation to Virginia’s major population centers. Projections show that the Hampton Roads region will be one of the Commonwealth’s most populated regions by 2035. While Amtrak currently provides service to Newport News, no direct intercity passenger rail train service exists today to connect South Hampton Roads with Richmond, Washington, D.C. and points north.

DRPT is changing that. Using state Rail Enhancement funds, DRPT is working with Norfolk Southern, CSX and Amtrak to extend Richmond’s Amtrak Virginia regional service, which began in July 2010, to Norfolk. When complete, residents in and around Norfolk will have a one-seat ride from Norfolk as far north as Boston. The estimated start date for this new service is 2012.

This page will provide progress updates as DRPT, NS, CSX and Amtrak work together to advance this project. Once infrastructure improvements are complete and service begins, information on the service will be found at www.amtrakvirginia.com.

Project status as of March 2012

• Discussions continue regarding the Norfolk multi-modal station facility improvements and design to support the new service, The Tide light rail line, HRT Ferry, HRT Bus and Amtrak connector bus service. Partners involved in these discussions include DRPT, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern and the City of Norfolk and its consultants.
• DRPT, Norfolk Southern and CSX continue to work together to coordinate work at the Petersburg Collier Connection project site.
• CSX has submitted design plans of the Petersburg Collier Connection to DRPT for review and comment for the Norfolk Southern connector track. Internal DRPT review is complete, and the Agency will issue Notice To Proceed for construction once the required documentation is received from CSX.
• All grading work on the Norfolk Southern segment of the Collier Connection is complete. Subballast and ballast has been placed, and Norfolk Southern track work is complete. Final track elevation adjustments will be made upon completion of the CSX connection work.
• Norfolk Southern has submitted design plans to DRPT for review and comment for improvements at Portlock Yard. Pre-bid meeting was held in late February.
• Norfolk Southern has submitted design plans to DRPT for review and comment for improvements at Poe in Petersburg. Pre-bid meeting was held in late February.
• Field surveys and preliminary engineering work continues on the design of the 460 corridor signal and crossover improvements.
• The Amtrak technical service agreement has been executed and work is underway on service design.
• Construction for the Harbor Park passenger platform and track is almost complete. Most work on the passenger platform has been completed. The passenger platform track is in place and elevated to the platform grade. Actual platform concrete work is complete. Work on the ramps leading to the platform is complete. A final segment of this track is awaiting signal structure relocation by Norfolk Southern.
• Construction continues on the Norfolk train turning and servicing facility. Major drainage and other utility work for the facility have been completed. Grading and site preparation for majority of the project is complete. New track has been laid on some segments of the turning and the servicing facilities. A train crew building has been erected, and is ready for use. Most of remaining work includes connections to the City of Norfolk utilities, and track construction on the North Leg of Wye and South Leg of Wye. Final site work, electrical and other servicing components for Servicing Facility has not yet started.
• Design for the Norfolk Southern running track between Walnut Hill and Poe (Mainline 2nd Track Phase II) is complete and the contract for construction has been awarded. Groundbreaking for construction of this segment of the project took place in middle of January 2012. Construction is progressing according to plan.
• DRPT, Norfolk Southern and City of Petersburg are coordinating efforts to minimize impacts to vehicular traffic on Johnson Road during the new highway bridge construction. Two citizen information meetings have been held as part of the project community outreach.