Hampton Roads leaders get taste of passenger rail

NORFOLK

The ride was smooth. The passenger cars were packed. And the train ran more than an hour ahead of schedule.

Overall, Thursday's trip aboard restored vintage railcars was a grand introduction to the proposed revival of passenger rail service out of Harbor Park.

Sponsored by Norfolk Southern Corp. and hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, more than 200 business, civic and government leaders boarded the train and rode 154 miles round-trip between Norfolk and Petersburg.

It was a taste of the service state rail officials expect to launch in less than three years to Richmond, Washington, D.C., and beyond.

The state has identified $93 million to make the railway improvements necessary to re-establish service. Since passenger rail service in South Hampton Roads ended in 1977, the closest trains are across the harbor in Newport News.

Jack Hornbeck, chamber president and CEO, said he hopes Thursday's event will generate enthusiasm for future passenger rail service.

Gloria Steadman of Bon Secours said she was inspired to take her grandchildren on a sightseeing trip to Washington via rail.

Betsi Radd, sales manager for the Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center, sees passenger trains as a way to build business.

"The barrier we most often hear about in the hotel industry is getting business from areas north of here... because of tunnel congestion," Radd said.

The future Amtrak passenger service won't have the same luxury amenities as Thursday's outing, which included a car dating back to 1911; a tall, glass-domed car with lounge seating; and a "theater car" with tiered theater-style seats facing the all-glass rear of the car.

Still, there will be one round-trip train daily, which is expected to increase to three once improvements are made to unclog congestion at the Appomattox River rail bridge.

The top speed would be 79 mph because it will share the track with freight trains. Passengers eventually would have what's known in the industry as a "one-seat ride" - a trip without having to change trains - as far as Boston.

Trains will operate out of a transportation center to be built at Harbor Park. Norfolk learned Wednesday that it did not win its bid for a federal stimulus grant; however, the city has $6 million to build the first phase, which will include a small train station, a bus transfer center, and covered connections to the Harbor Park light-rail station.

"It's disappointing to the city from an economic development standpoint, but it won't stop the trains from coming," said Thelma Drake, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

State and freight rail officials touted the route as ideal for passengers because much of it is straight, which allows trains to move at consistently higher speeds.

But first, improvements are needed that include upgrading some sections of track, enhancing the signal system and building more crossovers where trains can pass each other. Norfolk Southern operates 15 to 18 freight trains a day on the tracks between Norfolk and Petersburg.

John Edwards, Norfolk Southern's general director of passenger policy, said the reward for the railroad for allowing passenger trains on its tracks "is very, very small."

"We understand that passenger rail is coming back," he said. "In some ways, it helps us because it reduces congestion on the roads.... We need the entire transportation system to be fluid."

Cargo is often transported to trains or off-loaded from trains via trucks that use the roadways.

"Our experience in Virginia is that the state has a willingness to partner with us to get the job done right," Edwards said.

Naturally, there are challenges for the railroad.

"We're used to moving Nike shoes or computers or coal or corn," Edwards said. "Once we put passengers on the rail, there's a new liability risk."

An obstacle for the state is identifying operating funds for the service. Federal passenger-rail operating subsidies end in 2013. Drake said a state legislative committee is close to making a recommendation on how to fill the gap.

Drake is optimistic the South Hampton Roads service will be so successful it won't need an operating subsidy, similar to the Lynchburg-to-D.C. service that started last year.

Meanwhile, a separate planning process for higher-speed train service to South Hampton Roads is still under way. The region's enthusiasm for higher-speed rail, which would run at speeds of up to 110 mph, prompted the state to work on the conventional service.

Officials, however, have said it would take years to upgrade to higher-speed service because it requires separate passenger- and freight-train tracks.

Edwards said mixing the two "is like having a tractor on the interstate. It simply is not safe."

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com