ROANOKE, Va. – A much-anticipated train rolled into Downtown Roanoke from Washington D.C. on Monday and was greeted by city leaders and residents – The arrival marked a new chapter of transportation to and from Roanoke.
“Tourism, people coming to our city, has increased over the years and it’s going to be even more convenient to do so now,” said Mayor Sherman Lea.
The second daily round trip between our nation’s capital and the Star City makes it easier for people to visit Southwest Virginia.
“This is going to be giving new options for people to consider to come in as visitors or residents, and also people looking to move here perhaps, so we’re really excited about this,” said Landon Howard, President of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
Amtrak already ran one trip between cities and will be offering plenty more.
This addition will have departures from Roanoke around 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and arrivals around 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We knew it was popular and we knew people were using it, especially for business but also for entertainment as well. So this is a big deal for Roanoke, for tourism purposes as well as business purposes,” said Senator John Edwards.
It’s another step in hopes of making the city a destination location.
“The key to building a destination like Virginia’s Blue Ridge is accessibility, this is just one more avenue we have to invite people conveniently and affordably to come in and experience what we have,” Howard said.