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VPRA reports ridership up 8.5% and progress on New River Valley, Alexandria and Franconia projects
Summary
VPRA’s executive director summarized outreach activity, a year-over-year ridership increase of 8.5% for May and progress updates on multiple capital projects including New River Valley, Alexandria (fourth track) and Franconia Lorton (third track).
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s executive director provided a condensed report highlighting outreach efforts, passenger trends and capital-project progress.
The executive director, DJ, reported that “May ridership… is 8 and a half percent higher” year over year and described that May 2025 was “our fourth highest month ever.” He presented a regional breakdown in which Roanoke led month-over-month increases at about 11%, Norfolk and Newport News showed rises in the 7–9.5% range, and Richmond recorded a smaller increase of roughly 2.6%.
DJ said VPRA has been active in public outreach — attending station events, bike-to-work days and public meetings — to communicate upcoming construction impacts, noting that outreach materials have emphasized transparency and advance notice for commuters.
On capital projects the director summarized: CSX released an invitation to bid for the Alexandria fourth-track portion earlier than anticipated and staff expect a City of Alexandria easement approval request at the July 1 Alexandria City Council meeting; the Franconia Lorton third-track design package reached 100% and is expected to enter early works bidding; and the New River Valley layover and station work is “slightly ahead of schedule,” with visible grading, a sheet-pile wall under construction at the layover facility and a target to begin service no later than 2027.
Why it matters: Ridership growth and progress on localized capital projects inform planning, revenue projections and near-term commuting impacts for passengers on Virginia routes.
The director said a fuller executive director’s report with more numbers will be posted and distributed in the coming days; board members were invited to ask questions later in the meeting.
