VRE Looking at Extending Commuter Rail to Haymarket: Media Report

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The Virginia Railway Express is studying an extension of the commuter rail service to three new stops along a new spur west of Manassas, a regional blog reported this week.

The blog, Greater Greater Washington, says the 11-mile extension of VRE’s Manassas line would serve Gainesville and Haymarket. But if lawmakers approve the project, they will have to find the money to pay for it. The state legislature has increased funding for transit projects, but not enough to pay for the extension.

On its website, VRE says it is working on the study with the Norfolk Southern Railway, which owns the tracks on which VRE trains run. Others involved in the study include the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and Prince William County.

“The extensive growth in housing in western Prince William County, coupled with emerging employment centers such as the Innovation Technology Center, VA Gateway and George Mason University’s Prince William Campus make the Gainesville-Haymarket area an exciting prospect for new service,” VRE says.

The study participants will look at station locations, assess possible environmental effects and consider an alternative for the extension.