Passenger trains make their way to the New River Valley

Bryan Zapata, news writer Apr 9, 2021

A recent bill signed by Gov. Northam approves the making of a passenger rail station in the Southwest Virginia region.

House Bill 1893, presented by Delegate Chris Hurst, will establish the New River Valley Passenger Rail Station Authority. The New River Valley has the opportunity to be a part of this passenger rail revolution with train stations from across the Commonwealth. ... The authority of this bill will be governed by a board composed of members of the local districts and institutions.

Several entities in the New River Valley region, such as Radford University, Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg and Christiansburg town councils, will pool their resources to share the cost of constructing the railroad.

The passing of this bill will lead to the creation of a 6.82-acre Amtrak station in the Christiansburg area. The town plans to pay $200,000 to the nonprofit Community Housing Partners for the land located between the Norfolk Southern rail line and the 100 block of Mill Lane.

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