An artist rendering shows what a passenger station and its stop in Christiansburg could like when passenger rail comes back to the area.
Marty Gordon
Recent federal cutbacks have New River Valley residents wondering if they will push the area’s passenger rail project off the track.
State officials say nothing has changed with the future for passenger rail deeper into southwest Virginia.
Communication Manager Karina Romero with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said this past week the New River Valley Project is progressing as planned as it is funded by state monies.
Next up is a groundbreaking ceremony on April 24.
Larry Hincker, who serves on the NRV Passenger Rail Station Authority, said Norfolk Southern is doing all the work under contract for the state.
“They are constructing a new maintenance operation building down the road from their current location (the old station) and will be out of it very soon. We expect to see them start moving dirt soon. They will be re-grading the site, constructing the new track and platform, and preparing the land for parking, bus parking, drop off, etcetera,” Hincker said.
Norfolk Southern will be turning over to the NRV Passenger Rail Station Authority their current building – the old (1906 N&W station) for use as the new passenger station.
“We’ve been told to expect operation in Second or Third quarter of 2027…hopefully in time for fall semester at local universities,” Hincker said.
As for federal monies, VPRA has a $2 million grant that they hope to transfer to the NRV Passenger Rail Station Authority.
According to Hincker, the authority has no indications that money is in jeopardy.
The passenger rail project has been on the drawing board for almost 10 years and has gone through three location changes before ending up back in the Cambria area of Christiansburg.
Initially, the passenger station had been planned near the town’s aquatic center, then shifting to a location near the NRV Uptown Mall. The latter site proved to be costly as a railroad tunnel would have faced major modifications that state rail officials estimated to almost reach $80 million.
The state group and local officials then moved quickly to shift the project back to the M-Line, which comes through the center of the town and would use a former train station that is currently being used as a Norfolk Southern maintenance facility.
VPRA first announced it was in discussions with Norfolk Southern back in June. Responding to public input which supported service to Christiansburg along the N-Line and seeking a more cost-effective and timelier alternative for that service, VPRA reached out to Norfolk Southern who agreed to re-open negotiations. Over the past three months, the two have worked together to develop plans which will allow passenger rail service to return to Christiansburg via Norfolk Southern’s Cambria Yard, which previously served the community from 1904 to 1979.
