VRE - Railfan Friendly?

You Can Listen In - Frequencies for Train Communications Here

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VRE has setup a page displaying all the radio frequencies that their trains use. The little blurb above sits on their home page along with this link to the frequency page.

Thanks for the link, it would be nice if every rail operation did this. (Railfan Perspective)

I aslo like how VRE has detailed infromation on their consists used for certain routes and equipment types. Very railfan freindly. B)

Amfleet said:

I aslo like how VRE has detailed infromation on their consists used for certain routes and equipment types. Very railfan freindly. B)

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--- although the intent is not to satisfy railfans, but to let the public, their regular riders, know whether their train will have enough capacity. Bilevels are assigned to trains that regularly carry more passengers. VRE has many different types of equipment -- single level, bilevels, and bilevel gallery cars (like San Francisco's & Chicago's) -- so it's helpful to regular passengers who have a choice of departures to know what type of equipment their train will have.

I'm pretty sure one of (if not more) VRE's Bombardier sets is from Sounder. There is a picture of it in Trains Magazine (10/2002 pg 54). I personally am not all that impressed with Tri-Rails Bombardier coaches, they feel more like a bus than a train to me.

battalion51 said:

I'm pretty sure one of (if not more) VRE's Bombardier sets is from Sounder. There is a picture of it in Trains Magazine (10/2002 pg 54).

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One VRE set is indeed on loan from Sounder, until they are able to increase the number of runs and routes.

AlanB said:

One VRE set is indeed on loan from Sounder, until they are able to increase the number of runs and routes.

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Oops, I was wrong.

VRE began operations in 1992 with a fleet of single-level cars built by the Brazilian manufacturer Mafersa. In 1999, VRE acquired 13 bilevel Kawasaki cars. In 2001, VRE purchased 19 used gallery cars from the Chicago-area commuter railroad Metra. Then, about one year ago, VRE placed into service two bilevel trains leased from Seattle's Sound Transit. Since then VRE has leased a third set of Sounders.

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Plus as the article that I quoted above mentions, VRE is currently looking to lease a fourth Sounder trainset. You can read the full article from Fredricksburg.com. Thanks also to Prodigy's OTOL for finding this story.

AlanB said:

AlanB said:

One VRE set is indeed on loan from Sounder, until they are able to increase the number of runs and routes.  

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Oops, I was wrong.

VRE began operations in 1992 with a fleet of single-level cars built by the Brazilian manufacturer Mafersa. In 1999, VRE acquired 13 bilevel Kawasaki cars. In 2001, VRE purchased 19 used gallery cars from the Chicago-area commuter railroad Metra. Then, about one year ago, VRE placed into service two bilevel trains leased from Seattle's Sound Transit. Since then VRE has leased a third set of Sounders.

Click to expand...

Plus as the article that I quoted above mentions, VRE is currently looking to lease a fourth Sounder trainset. You can read the full article from Fredricksburg.com. Thanks also to Prodigy's OTOL for finding this story.

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I got to ride on two of VRE's leased Sounder sets, one on each line this past December. I rode from Fredericksburg to Alexandria in one of them, and then Alexandria to Broad Run/Manassas Airport and back to Washington Union Station in the other one.

There have been some problems in getting new lines started in the Pacific Northwest. Sounder currently operates three daily trains between Seattle and Tacoma (all northbound to Seattle on weekday mornings and all southbound to Tacoma on weekday evenings). They are looking to extend service south of Tacoma to Lakewood, and north of Seattle to Everett. When that happens, or when conditions permit an increase over the current three round trips, Sounder will need its equipment back. Hopefully VRE has contingency plans for this when it happens, or its riders will be literally out in the cold.