Virginia has finalized agreements with Amtrak and CSX to launch a 10-year, $3.7-billion expansion of the state’s freight, commuter, and passenger rail network, including construction of a new Potomac River crossing to relieve a longstanding rail traffic chokepoint.
The partnering agreements, formally signed at a March 30 ceremony outside Washington, D.C., include a $944-million commitment from Amtrak that will fund nearly 30% of the rail expansion program. The remaining funds will come via state and federal funding sources, including the COVID-19 relief package enacted by Congress last December.