LETTER: New daily train to Manassas

A new day came to Manassas about five weeks ago that will brighten many lives here and beyond. 

On Oct. 1 Amtrak began its long awaited new daily train to Manassas. Amtrak’s historic “firsts” included: First Northeast Corridor Service to Lynchburg, first Virginia subsidized service and first service to
Burke Centre (weekdays only). 

In 30 plus years, only the Crescent provided daily service here.  This new train will generally be much cheaper and much more reliable and better integrate the Manassas–Lynchburg Corridor and the DC–
Boston/Springfield, Mass. Corridors. 

For example, a two-week advance fare to New York City is $56 on the new service, but $143 on the Crescent (15 percent less for students/seniors). Most tickets to Charlottesville are only $21 for adults.
Also, on weekdays, one can travel to and from Boston without changing trains in New York.

This service will make Manassas a departure and destination spot for vacationers, day trippers (from Culpeper, Charlottesville, Lynchburg), commuters, local business travelers, students, and international
travelers. (In December, Amtrak will add another new Northeast Corridor train from DC to Richmond, producing the same benefits to readers to our south.)
On the train, gone are the headaches of airports, Interstate 66, and the New Jersey Turnpike.  Now, on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, the city will have three northbound and three southbound trains.
With this added service, our great VRE service, an upgraded webcam and better promotion to the business/vacation traveler as a much cheaper place to stay than DC, I believe that Manassas could
become a “go to” destination for the above groups. The train is experimental for three years. Let’s do everything possible to make this interim train service permanent for Manassas by making its many
advantages widely known!

DAN PEACOCK

Manassas