State of Virginia Railroad Planning

I missed that Virginia is updating their state rail plan. This press release, "Commonwealth Transportation Board Sets Public Meetings for Statewide Rail Plan," from the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, listed the public meetings soliciting comments from the public, held during July. Comments were due last Monday...

This is the current plan.

And this is the new draft plan.

Councilmembers in Lynchburg and the Virginia First Cities Coalition object to the request for subsidies to be provided by localities, arguing that funding railroad passenger service is a state responsibility. See this article, "Council: Local government shouldn't pay for Va. rail expansion," and the follow up editorial "Mass Transit is the State's Responsibility" both from the Lynchburg News & Advance.