Virginia breaks ground on Amtrak extension to New River Valley

Virginia officials yesterday broke ground on the $265.4 million Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) New River Valley rail project in Christiansburg.

The project will extend Amtrak Virginia service via Norfolk Southern Railway from Roanoke to Christiansburg for the first time since 1979, said VPRA officials in a press release. The extension is the result of an agreement between the VPRA and NS completed last September, in which VPRA purchased one line and gained access to another.

VPRA will use existing infrastructure and develop a station stop at the Cambria site, which previously served the community from1904 and 1979. The New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Authority will lead the renovation of the historic Christiansburg station building in Cambria in 2027. Renovations include a new station platform and canopy, parking lot and access roads, track improvements and upgraded signaling, and an Amtrack layout facility.

The expanded Amtrak Virginia service is expected to begin in 2027 with two daily roundtrips between Christiansburg and Washington, D.C. 

“This groundbreaking is a critical milestone in the Transforming Rail in Virginia project that will ultimately increase rail service in the Commonwealth,” said Jennifer Mitchell, Amtrak executive vice president of strategy and planning. “The record ridership we’re experiencing shows people in Virginia and throughout the U.S. want frequent, reliable and convenient transportation."