VRE keeps fares level, adds express train in budget

A budget that doesn't require a fare increase for Virginia Railway Express riders and includes an additional service train received unanimous approval from the VRE Operations Board on Friday.

The proposed fiscal 2011 budget of about $91.9 million presented by chief executive Dale Zehner is 16 percent higher than last year's. The increased funding mainly comes from federal money for capital projects including the completion of a Broad Run maintenance facility, a Broad Run parking garage and new locomotives and railcars.

The budget maintains current fares -- which have gone up 16 percent since July 2008 -- and includes a 5 a.m. proposed express train that would stop only at Fredericksburg, Leeland Road and Brooke stations before heading to its Alexandria, L'Enfant and Union Station stops.

Zehner said that the express will reduce travel time by about 20 minutes and that he hopes it will lure some riders in southern jurisdictions back to the commuter rail service. Over the past year, ridership in Stafford County, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County dropped by almost 200 people, Zehner said, citing rising ticket fares and the length of the trip to Washington. Although the train won't stop in Prince William County, VRE officials said, it should alleviate some of the congestion on the other morning trains.

"It has long been the desire of the Fredericksburg riders to have an earlier option for their commute in the morning," Zehner said. "This proposed budget finally puts a place holder out there to accomplish that goal. But I didn't just want to add a train; I wanted to add an express train that makes our service even more attractive because now VRE will certainly be faster than any other mode to get people up to their work."

Because the eight jurisdictions that contribute to VRE are strapped for cash this year, Zehner said, he decreased the total jurisdictional subsidy to about $16 million, down about $306,700 from fiscal 2010.

Each jurisdiction pays based on the number of riders. In the Prince William area, Manassas's contribution is expected to drop about $12,000. Manassas Park's is expected to rise about $7,000, and Prince William's is set to increase $211,600. The jurisdictions will receive some of that money back in 2013 from Spotsylvania. The county joined VRE this year, but as part of the agreement, it gets to defer payments for the first few years.

"My overall objective when putting together this budget was to find relief for the jurisdictions and for the riders," Zehner said. "I believe this preliminary budget accomplishes both of those tasks at a time when fiscal constraints wouldn't necessarily dictate that these objectives were simultaneously achievable."

The budget also includes the last funding needed for a new storage arrangement at L'Enfant Station. Zehner said VRE will move two trains there, which will allow for more space at Ivy City, a coach yard behind Union Station. The new arrangement will open up space for the proposed express train and allow VRE to add one car to trains 308 and 311, on the Fredericksburg Line, and two cars to trains 326 and 329, on the Manassas Line. Zehner said he hopes the changes will draw in about 160 additional riders.

Zehner said he expects the state's contribution to VRE's operating budget to be about $7.7 million, down from $8.2 million in fiscal 2010. For capital projects, federal money provides most of the funding, and the state provided 73 percent of the remaining money in fiscal 2010. The state is expected to reduce that share to 50 percent, Zehner said, adding that he expects that with the state budget crisis that number might drop to 35 percent.

The commuter rail service will save about $750,000 next fiscal year when it switches operators. In the fall, VRE officials voted to end their 17-year relationship with Amtrak and give Keolis Rail Services America its operations and maintenance contract. Zehner said the budget presented Friday assumes average daily ridership will go up 4 percent, to about 16,200 passengers. But, he warned board members, small changes in a number of areas could have an impact on the budget. If ridership fluctuates 5 percent, it could mean a loss or gain of $1.4 million, and if the state's support for operations and capital changes 5 percent, it could alter the budget by more than $800,000.

The budget will move to the Northern Virginia and Potomac and Rappahannock transportation commissions in January. After that, it needs to be approved by all participating jurisdictions.