VRE's Fredericksburg trains should be on time again

Virginia Railway Express riders should expect trains to be on time Tuesday after a construction mistake at VRE's Fredericksburg storage yard delayed some Monday morning trains, VRE officials said.

The problem originated with a walkway that train crews use to travel between tracks at the yard. It was being rebuilt over the weekend after 17 years, but crews discovered Monday that the walkway -- no more than 10 feet long and just wide enough for two people to pass -- was built too close to the tracks, VRE spokesman Mark Roeber said.

The walkway "was completely torn out . . . so train crews should have no pending issues" on Tuesday, Roeber said. Officials were unsure why the walkway was constructed too close to the tracks.

VRE officials pulled a five-car train from a different track to make the first run of the day. The train, which filled in for Train 300, was 40 minutes late and three cars shorter than normal and skipped the Leeland Road and Brooke stations, Roeber said. The next train, Train 302, was 20 minutes late.

VRE officials said they decided to skip stops to create enough time between trains and to keep the rest of the day on schedule. Because of the signal system, when two trains operate close together, the second has to slow down significantly, they said.

Train 300 is usually the busiest on the Fredericksburg line, which carries about 9,000 passengers daily, VRE said. The agency issued certificates for free rides to passengers aboard Train 300 and those at the Leeland Road and Brooke stations who typically ride the first train of the day, Roeber said.