Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

 Investments and Initiatives Update

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s (VPRA) Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative aims to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in Virginia.

DJ Stadtler, Executive Director, VPRA, presented an overview of VPRA's initiatives, including updates on TRV projects, such as the Long Bridge and Franconia-Springfield Bypass. NVTA is proud to support the bypass project, allocating nearly $23 million toward the passenger rail bridge that will remove up to 26 conflicts every day between passenger and freight trains, ultimately eliminating a major chokepoint. 

*During construction, there will be ongoing and upcoming service impacts including a five-hour outage at Long Bridge for up to five years beginning in January 2026. VPRA is determining solutions to maintain maximum service and optimize performance for Amtrak, VRE and CSX. Click here to track construction disruptions.

Regional Approach to Funding Northern Virginia's Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure

In March, the Virginia House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairs asked NVTA to review the findings from the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) 2024 Northern Virginia Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Study and recommend regional funding strategies for infrastructure identified in the study. Below is the timeline of NVTA's efforts since beginning this initiative in June.

In July and August, NVTA held two regional coordination meetings, bringing together member jurisdiction staff, regional stakeholders, and community advocates to discuss the existing funding sources for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. NVTA developed a draft report inclusive of various funding strategies and findings that has been presented to NVTA's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Planning Coordination Advisory Committee (PCAC) before being presented to the Authority. In November, NVTA staff will seek approval of the report to submit to the House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairs.

Strategic Plan Update

NVTA's Five-Year Strategic Plan serves as a guide for NVTA’s work over the next five years. The Plan focuses on maintaining and enhancing performance across NVTA’s primary responsibilities, while positioning NVTA to proactively address emerging and unmet regional transportation needs.

We can't highlight it all! Click any of the links below to access each agenda

item covered during the October 2025 Authority Meeting.

Upcoming Events

NVTA's InNoVAtion Lunch and Learn

Join us for our next InNoVation Lunch & Learn on Thursday, November 6th, at 12:00 p.m.! Rama Mitry, Charge Up Fairfax Program Manager, Fairfax County, and Julie Gurnee, EV Readiness Strategy Program Manager, Fairfax County, will discuss how countywide programs such as Charge Up Fairfax are shaping EV readiness, the future of sustainable mobility in Northern Virginia. We look forward to seeing you there!

NVTA's State of the Region's Transportation Event

Our second annual State of the Region’s Transportation Network event on Wednesday, October 22nd at 8:30 a.m. has reached capacity. If you are registered and can no longer attend, please be sure to contact Amanda Sink: asink@thenovaauthority.org

If extra space becomes available, we hope to see you there! Click the button below to join the waitlist.