VRE Spotslvania Station & Third Track

[davinp]

Spotsylvania County announced that a new Virginia Railway Express station and two other projects will benefit from the recent sale of $17.4 million in bonds.

The county plans to use some of the bond proceeds to help pay its $5 million portion for the VRE station. There is also state and federal funding for the project, which includes a station and parking. A “third track” also is being built near the station, with a price tag of $32.5 million.

The county hopes to have the new VRE station built by the end of 2013.

http://www.vre.org/service/newsletter/2012/august.pdf

[The EGE]

Haven't heard much on this project lately. We're in the middle of a public comment period about the third track.

I just added a lot of historical information to the Wikipedia article.

[ThirdRail7]

Progress is being made.

http://news.fredericksburg.com/transpor ... k-project/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

VRE picks builder for Spotsylvania third track project

VRE picks builder for Spotsylvania third track project
The Virginia Railway Express Operations Board on Friday approved the selection of a contractor to build the new third track in Spotsylvania.

The third track is part of the VRE station project in the Crossroads Business Park off of the U.S. 17 Bypass.

Abernathy Construction Corp., of Glen Allen, won the contract with a low bid at just more than $8 million.

Work on the third track, which will cost a total of $32.5 million, is expected to begin in July or August.

The third track will run from the new station and stop short of the Fredericksburg VRE station.

Last month, VRE chose Dulles-based Hammerhead Construction to build the station. That contract is for $2.349 million.

[Arlington]

Please let us know (anyone) when they actually turn the first shovelful on this project that was said to be shovel-ready in 2009.

[ThirdRail7]

If they start the project in two months, can they really finish by June?

VRE station in Spotsy pushed back again
http://www.freelancestar.com/2013-11-16 ... ack-again/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Spotsylvania County’s Virginia Railway Express station won’t open anytime soon, but officials at least expect work to start soon.

Before that work can begin, though, the county has to strike a deal with the owners of the land needed for the station’s parking lot and a new third track.

Spotsylvania Supervisor Gary Skinner gave an update on the new station and third track during the VRE Operations Board meeting Friday. He said county and VRE officials hope to break ground on both projects in the next two months.

In an interview after the meeting, Skinner said officials hope to open the station and third track by June.

The station is going to be built in the Crossroads Industrial Park off the U.S. 17 bypass.

The county and VRE are negotiating with the property owners, businessmen George Lester and Fitz Johnson.

Skinner said the county made an offer two weeks ago to the owners for the approximately 25 acres needed for the station’s 1,500-space parking lot. The station will be built on CSX property, so the county does not have to purchase that land.

[Arlington]

The value of the third track, being so utterly unrelated to parking spots, and entirely on CSX, I don't get why the track work can't be started now.

[Arlington]

I am hoping that while Spotsy locals are obsessed with their station and it's parking, that they aren't holding up the third track, even though the news makes it sound that way. The value of the third track, being so utterly unrelated to parking spots, and entirely on CSX property, I don't get why the track work can't be started now.

[ThirdRail7]

Another baby step is taken.

Spotsy ready to roll on new VRE station
http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk ... e-station/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please allow a brief fair use quote:

July 29th, 2014, 9:13 pm
Spotsy ready to roll on new VRE station


BY SCOTT SHENK / THE FREE LANCE–STAR

The oft-delayed Virginia Railway Express station project in Spotsylvania County seems to have finally reached the starting line.

Spotsylvania this week started advertising for bids on the new station and 1,500-space parking lot, and has even scheduled a groundbreaking event for Aug. 12.

But work won’t start on that day, as the county’s bidding process for the project will run through Aug. 27.

The station is going to be built in the Crossroads Industrial Park off the U.S. 17 Bypass. A new third set of tracks is are being built between the new station and the area near the Fredericksburg station.

The path to this point with the station has been long and winding.

County officials initially hoped to have the station open by late 2013. But technical and funding issues caused initial delays. Once those problems were dealt with, the county ran into another issue: It couldn’t secure the 25 acres needed for the lot.

The property owners, George Lester and Fitz Johnson, wanted what they considered fair value to sell the property or to lease it. The county wasn’t interested in leasing the property.

The county eventually asked the Virginia Department of Transportation to intervene and secure the property through eminent domain.

[Arlington]

But where the heck is the 3rd track project? it is now 5 YEARS for this "stimulus" project.

[afiggatt]

The Spotsylvania third track project is being paid for by Virginia, AFAIK. I suspect you are thinking of the Arkendale to Powell's Creek 3rd track project which has been in limbo for far too long.

[Arlington]

Yes, you are correct (Spotsy is not stimulus...but is either Amtrak or VRE, while Arkendale-Powell is the overdue stimulus project)

[Nicholas Chen]

Spotyslvania Station will open on November 16th, 2015, only two years late according to this thread's title.

Spotsylvania County and Alexandria, VA. – The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will commence VRE commuter rail service from the new Spotsylvania Station on Monday, November 16, 2015. VRE built the new station and platform while Spotsylvania County built the 1,500-space parking lot for commuters. Spotsylvania County and VRE will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. that morning.

Press Release

[The EGE]

As of this morning the station is open! First extension of VRE service since it opened in 1992, first rail service stopping in the county in... half a century?

[mmi16]

CSX has placed the new #1 track in service from Crossroads to Hamilton and on to Fredericksbug. The portion between Crossroads and Hamilton is totally new. Hamilton to Fredericksburg has been in service for several years

[Arlington]

Is this the completion of the "Spotsylvania Third Track" project?