Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) on LinkedIn: #amtrakva #roanoke #dc #virginiaisforlovers (2024)

Rail Trivia Tuesday: A major factor in the establishment of standard time was the railroads. During the 19th Century, time of day was determined by the clock at the center of town, the sun, and the railroads. This meant that each city and town operated on its own local solar time which made scheduling and coordinating timetables difficult. Telegraph lines, communication between stations and dispatchers, were also impacted because with different local times, messages could be misinterpreted or even delayed. Due to this, there was uncertainty and difficulty due to the absence of a set timing. On November 18, 1883, the railroads of North America met and instituted a standard time for all trains which allowed for better coordination and scheduling. Thirty-five years later, this led to the time zones we use today. Photo cred: Trains Magazine

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Make this year’s #BackToSchool an adventure with Amtrak Virginia! Sneak in a trip before school starts or map out your semester’s travel. Don’t forget: You can save a lot on your travels with Amtrak’s student discounts. Book your trip today!Visit amtrak.com/virginia for more info.

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Happy #ProfessionalEngineersDay to the talented engineers at VPRA! Today we celebrate your hard work and dedication to Transforming Rail in Virginia and beyond. Keep on designing, building, and moving us forward in a more reliable and accessible way, you are appreciated! 🎉🚆Learn about the work of VPRA's Engineering Team at https://ow.ly/u8gF50SStf3

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We are excited to announce an upcoming Request for Proposals (“RFP”) that will solicit proposals for the procurement of construction management services in support of the Franconia-Springfield Bypass project. https://lnkd.in/efUGBZDV Interested parties (Respondents) should monitor VPRA’s website for the upcoming Professional Services RFP which is anticipated to be released around the end of August 2024. https://lnkd.in/eG-es3YU

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Rail Trivia Tuesday: Did you know that there are a variety of rail cars and each carry different things? Check out the graphic below and discover the distinctions of the chilled boxcar, open-top hopper, tank car, well car, autorack, centerbeam, covered hopper, coil car, flatcar, gondola, and intermodal equipment.Photo cred: Union Pacific Railroad

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Today (Friday) is National Coloring Book Day! Did you know that we have a coloring and activity book on our website? Visit our webpage, https://lnkd.in/euerKi37, to download now!

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Rail Safety Reminder: With students in the Commonwealth preparing to return to school in the coming weeks, it's important to have a conversation with your family about safely crossing railway tracks. Photo credit: Safe Kids Worldwide

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Rail Trivia Tuesday: Built between 1904 and 1906, King Street Station is a historic train station located in Seattle Washington. Designed by Minnesota-based architectural firm Reed and Stem, the depot served as a station for the Great Northern Railway (from the North) and Northern Pacific Railway (from the South); both railways were owned by James J. Hill. The station’s impressive 242-foot clock tower was modeled after the San Marco bell tower of Venice, Italy and was the tallest building in Seattle at the time of construction. The tower had four mechanical clock faces that offered the time to each of the four cardinal directions. In 1973, the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In the mid-20th century, as passenger rail travel began to decline, efforts to modernize the station destroyed most of the depot’s ornate interior. After paying $10 to the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad in 2008, the City of Seattle started the process of restoring the old station. After five years and $56 million, the public was finally able to see the restored King Street Station. King Street Station is the 15th busiest station in the Amtrak system and is served by Amtrak’s Cascades, Coast Starlight and Empire Builder services, as well as Sound Transit’s commuter trains, and Amtrak’s intercity bus system.

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