Virginia Railway Express riders will pay more starting July 1.
A 4 percent fare increase that VRE officials say is necessary to keep up with rising costs was approved this week. The hike is included in the agency’s proposed fiscal 2016 budget.
For some rail users, the increase will be up to 45 cents more per ride. For the riders who make the trip from Fredericksburg to Union Station, the single-ride fare will go from $11.10 to $11.55, and the monthly pass for the full route will go from $305.90 to $318.10. On the Manassas line, a trip from Manassas to Union Station will go up from $9.10 to $9.50, and the monthly pass will rise from $250.80 to $260.80.
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VRE officials say the fare increase will help make up for several revenue reductions and increases in contractual costs. For example, the agency said that state operations funding has decreased by 10 percent, or more than $1 million. The fare increase is expected to generate an additional $1.1 million in revenue.
The VRE operations board approved the fare increase at the April 17 meeting. The agency, a partnership between the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, got approval from both commissions this week.
The commuter rail service has a daily ridership of nearly 20,000 and it is expected to gain new passengers this summer when a new station opens in Spotsylvania County.
