Bedford,VA infill station?

[rspenmoll]

So this is something that just occurred to me. When what's now the Roanoke Northeast Regional terminated in Lynchburg, the connecting Thruway Motorcoach also stopped in Bedford on its way to Roanoke. Would there be any merit in adding an infill station in Bedford, which it is now no longer possible to purchase an Amtrak ticket to.

 

[dogbert617]

As far as I know, the project to expand one NE Regional train run from Lynchburg to Roanoke didn't include a stop at Bedford. I hope in the future, that changes though. And just out of curiosity while you can take an Amtrak Thruway bus to Blacksburg(home of Virginia Tech), there is no thruway bus option to get to Bedford sadly to say.

Would be nice, if one day a station could be added for Bedford. Considering that IIRC years ago(I think a little bit into the Amtrak era, correct me if I'm wrong), one of the eliminated trains going past Roanoke west into West Virgnia(James Whitcomb Riley? I forget the name of the train), once had a stop there. And of course, it'd greatly help all, who want to travel towards the Smith Mountain Lake area, which I'm familiar with due to my cousins owning a vacation house in that area. And in past years, I've spent time out there from time to time.

 

[Thirdrail7]

So this is something that just occurred to me. When what's now the Roanoke Northeast Regional terminated in Lynchburg, the connecting Thruway Motorcoach also stopped in Bedford on its way to Roanoke. Would there be any merit in adding an infill station in Bedford, which it is now no longer possible to purchase an Amtrak ticket to.

I remembered it being pursued and being swept aside.

I was correct. VA obviously didn't see the merit and earlier this year, VA recommended denying funding for a station in Bedford:

Efforts to add Amtrak stop in Bedford derailed

In 2016, the General Assembly ordered DRPT to conduct a feasibility study on a Bedford stop. DRPT determined it needs two years of ridership data before expanding the route, including adding a stop in Bedford.

During the April 9 meeting, DRPT Chief of Rail Transportation Michael McLaughlin recommended against a platform in Bedford, saying it is only expected to generate a net gain of 2,800 additional riders annually on the Roanoke-to-Washington Amtrak segment that passes through Bedford and its way to Lynchburg.

McLaughlin said the state has invested funding to support the train stations in Roanoke and Lynchburg, and a stop in Bedford potentially could divert riders that would otherwise us one of the two stations.

"Our data shows a lot of those riders would come from the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas," McLaughlin said. "It would not be a wise return on the investment to have another station in Bedford."
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[rspenmoll]

I remembered it being pursued and being swept aside.

I was correct. VA obviously didn't see the merit and earlier this year, VA recommended denying funding for a station in Bedford:

Efforts to add Amtrak stop in Bedford derailed

That's too bad. That being said, and I just discovered this, it does appear that Valley Metro, the Roanoke transit system, does operate a bus service that meets the train in Lynchburg that goes to and from Bedford(and on to Roanoke, for local travel between Bedford and Roanoke), which continues to Blacksburg on weekends (again, for local travel between Bedford, Roanoke, and Blacksburg). I wonder why it's not a thruway bus service at least between Lynchburg and Bedford. https://smartwaybus.com/docs/smartway/smart_way_connector_090515_change.pdf

 

[Palmland]

I guess they thought it was too close to Lynchburg and Roanoke at about midway, around 30 miles to each. The Hilltopper left Bedford at 3:30pm and arrived Roanoke at 4:10. Return left at 2:20pm and arrived Bedford at 2:55. I'm guessing NS didn't like the idea of another stop on the mainline either.

It does sound like an interesting town and was home to Company A, 29th Army division, who played an important part in Normandy. 20 of that company were killed on D-Day and "Proportionally this community suffered the nation’s severest D-Day losses". It is home to the National D-Day Memorial.
https://www.dday.org/the-memorial/

It has a replica of a sobering statue of the fallen soldier that is in Normandy.




Sorry to digress.

 

[DHill]

I know this has nothing to do with a station at Bedford, but I can't seem to get a new thread to post for a question I have so I will ask you guys. Have you heard anything about a possible schedule stop being added at Suffolk, Va.??? I read somewhere else that a stop was planned but has not been added yet because the train coming through Suffolk (Norfolk-Petersburg) will be using a different track if a Suffolk stop is added. Do you know anything about any of this?