Virginia Railway Express announced Monday (June 29) that it has bought a former freight yard in Alexandria as part of a service and fleet expansion.
VRE’s $35.8 million deal to buy the Seminary Yard (located near Duke Street and Interstate 495) from the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is part of a five-year, $155 million agreement to transfer four properties to VRE ownership. The former rail yard will be used for storage space for trains and equipment.
“Midday storage is critical for VRE operations,” VRE’s CEO Katie Choe said. “With VRE preparing to vacate Ivy City as part of Amtrak’s Ivy City Rail Yard Revitalization project, Seminary Yard fills an immediate need for us, while also ensuring adequate storage space for service expansion as we look to 2030 and beyond.”
Until now, VRE has used Amtrak’s Ivy City Coach Yard in D.C. for midday train storage, which VRE said “requires complex scheduling coordination.”
According to VRE, Seminary Yard brings this critical function closer to the agency’s core service area, reducing operational constraints and improving turnaround times.
VRE said the facility will support passenger rail with:
- Midday train storage
- Expanded storage capacity for a growing fleet
- Improved operational flexibility and reliability
- Increased resiliency through self-owned infrastructure
- Supported future evening and weekend service
VRE is also in the midst of a project to replace rail bridges over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue and make upgrades at Alexandria Union Station. It is being coordinated with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s Alexandria Fourth Track Project and the city’s King Street and Commonwealth improvements. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s Long Bridge Project is also underway to boost rail capacity between D.C. and Virginia.
