History
Prior to VRE trains providing commuter service to the area, the only passenger rail service was provided by Amtrak with their Crescent service that operated between New Orleans, LA and New York, NY. Amtrak inherited this train from the Southern Railway, a predecessor to Norfolk Southern and original owner of the line south of Alexandria, VA. The Crescent stopped at Alexandria and Manassas stations on the line, as it still does today.
In 1984, planning began for a commuter rail service for the area and 8 years later after many new stations were constructed, Virginia Railway Express began operating trains on the line. In 2009 Amtrak extended their Northeast Regional service to Lynchburg, giving stations of Manassas and Burke Centre additional service.
Read more about this topic: Manassas Line
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“... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps the underground aquifers flowing; it is the liquid voice that can wear through stone.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)