Virginia Railway Express announced it has acquired Seminary Yard, a strategically located rail yard in Alexandria, Virginia, from the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority for $35.8 million.
The purchase is part of a five-year, $155 million agreement between VRE and VPRA involving the transfer of four separate property interests. The acquisition gives VRE sole ownership of Seminary Yard and is expected to improve operational efficiency, flexibility, and resiliency.
VRE plans to transform the former freight yard into a facility that supports expanded passenger rail service. The site will provide midday train storage, expand storage capacity for VRE’s growing fleet, improve operational flexibility and reliability, increase resiliency through self-owned infrastructure, and support future evening and weekend service.
Historically, VRE has relied on Amtrak’s Ivy City Coach Yard in Washington, D.C., for midday train storage. That arrangement has required complex scheduling coordination. By bringing this function closer to VRE’s core service area, Seminary Yard is expected to reduce operational constraints and improve turnaround times.
The acquisition also comes as VRE prepares to vacate Ivy City as part of Amtrak’s Ivy City Rail Yard Revitalization project. VRE said Seminary Yard addresses an immediate operational need while also supporting future service expansion through 2030 and beyond.
The Seminary Yard purchase is one part of the broader $155 million agreement between VRE and VPRA. The agreement also includes property in the Broad Run Corridor, providing a new lead track from VRE’s Broad Run Maintenance and Storage Facility to the Manassas main line.
The agreement also conveys permanent easements at five VRE stations in the VPRA-owned right of way on the Manassas Line: Backlick Road, Rolling Road, Burke Centre, Manassas Park, and Manassas. It also includes a permanent commuter rail operating easement along the VPRA-owned Manassas Line.
These acquisitions give VRE substantially more control over infrastructure it uses every day. VPRA had previously acquired the properties from Norfolk Southern.
VRE is the nation’s 13th-largest commuter rail service and connects Central and Northern Virginia with Washington, D.C. The system operates the Manassas and Fredericksburg lines, serving 19 stations, including L’Enfant and Union Station in D.C.
KEY QUOTES:
“Midday storage is critical for VRE operations. 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.”
Katie Choe, Chief Executive Officer of VRE
