'I want those Yankee dollars'

A new Amtrak coming to Culpeper Oct. 1 is not intended to serve commuters.

But the addition of a second, shorter-running daily passenger train is expected to improve reliability, free up seats on the other daily Amtrak and attract tourists from the north.

Though the time schedule isn’t exactly what some working people may have wanted, local officials are supporting the pilot rail initiative made possible with a three-year, $17.8 million subsidy from the state.

“This is not a commuter train,” Jay McArthur, principal officer with Amtrak, told the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce at its board meeting Tuesday morning in the Depot. “The bread and butter of this train is not the business traveler, it’s the leisure traveler — 60 percent of riders are going north of D.C.”

McArthur, who is based in North Carolina, advised the group of local business leaders to support the new Amtrak corridor, running from Lynchburg to Boston and back every day.

“I wouldn’t be bringing people out of town, but to town,” he said, adding, “I want those Yankee dollars. The schedule is ideal for that.”

Even better, said Kevin Page, chief of rail transportation with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the new train will offer “a single-seat ride.”

“A passenger can get on the train in Culpeper and go all the way to Boston — that is a huge draw,” he said. “One of the biggest assets is the tourist trade.”

Originally slated to arrive in Culpeper earlier to accommodate commuters bound for D.C., the Route 29 Passenger Rail Corridor — as the new service is called — is an extension of Amtrak’s northeast corridor. Page said it puts trains back on the track usually sitting overnight in D.C.’s Union Station.

But the new train had to get what it could get in terms of schedule availability. “We had to find a slot that would fit with the railroads,” he said.

If the state had opted to purchase a specific time slot, it would have taken years to get the new service up and running, Page said. The new route gained access to southern freight lines across a CSX railroad and by using a Virginia Regional Express timeslot not in use.

Per the set schedule, the northbound train will arrive in Culpeper Monday-Friday at 9:42 a.m., arriving in D.C. at 11:20.

Southbound on weekdays, the new train will depart D.C. at 4:50 p.m., arriving back in Culpeper at 6:24.

Saturdays and Sundays, the train will leave Culpeper just after noon, a perfect hour for the visiting B&B crowd, Page said. Weekends, the train will depart D.C. bound for Culpeper at 4 or 4:50 p.m., making for a short visit for those seeking to take the same train home.

But in combination with the other Amtrak options, leaving the car keys at home is possible.

“While you can’t ride the same train there and back, you can ride a different train,” said Page, encouraging travelers to “shake it up a little bit.”

Estimated annual ridership on the new Amtrak line is 51,000. Passenger fares will not cover operations, Page said. That’s why the service required state funds — but that’s only in place for three years.
“If the operation is successful enough to continue, it needs a dedicated revenue source,” he said.

Del. Ed Scott, R-Madison, in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting, said the new Amtrak service was never intended as a commuter train.

“It’s not a perfect situation, but this has been one of the encouraging things we have been able to do working across the aisle,” he said.

The Culpeper Chamber invited rail officials to its meeting to gain better understanding about the new line, said chamber director Jim Charapich. He feels the extended Amtrak service will bring benefits home.

“This line has the potential of opening travel for more tourists to Culpeper for overnight trips and excursions,” Charapich said.

The Culpeper Department of Tourism is looking for ways to market the new train, he said, and the chamber will assist. With its weekday departure time from D.C. of 4:50 p.m., the train provides “a viable return commute,” Charapich said.

“The economy has dealt us a challenging hand. It is up to us to find ways to support our businesses. Rail can play a part in bringing revenue and jobs to our community.”

On Sept. 30, the VRDPT plans to host a celebration launching the train service with a whistle-stop tour docking at depots along the way.

Details of the Culpeper stop are being planned.

New route schedule
(Effective Oct. 1)

Northbound
Monday-Friday
Lynchburg: 7:38 a.m.
Culpeper: 9:42 a.m.
D.C.: 11:20 a.m.
NYC: 3:20 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday
Lynchburg: 9:59 a.m.
Culpeper: 12:03 p.m.
D.C.: 1:35 p.m.
NYC: 5:35 p.m.

Southbound
Monday-Friday
NYC: 12:50 p.m.
D.C.: 4:50 p.m.
Culpeper: 6:24 p.m.
Charlottesville: 7:20 p.m.
Lynchburg: 8:32 p.m.

Saturday
NYC: noon
D.C.: 4 p.m.
Culpeper: 5:27 p.m.
Charlottesville: 6:26 p.m.
Lynchburg: 7:39 p.m.

Sunday
NYC: 12:50 p.m.
D.C.: 4:50 p.m.
Culpeper: 6:17 p.m.
Charlottesville: 7:16 p.m.
Lynchburg: 8:29 p.m.