Tri-Cities region again getting all aboard passenger rail plans

The idea of Amtrak offering passenger trains from the Tri-Cities is an exciting prospect to many across the region.And with the injection of $100,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission, via grant monies recently announced by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, coupled with other grant money, this travel option so many have dreamed about for so long, might only be a few years away.Bristol, Virginia's train station, rehabilitated in recent years and used as offices just next to the State Line sign on Main Street, would serve as the Tri-Cities stop should plans go through.Dr. Fred Alsop, an East Tennessee State University biologist and bird expert by profession, has also worked with the university's George L. Carter Railroad Museum.He said the issue with passenger trains is that they need to operate on time, which, in an area like Southwest Virginia, means pushing freight cars out of the way to make time. This could lead to a trade-off for those who advocate for passenger trains, but Alsop said the ability to travel via train would be exciting for the region.But the process needs to go in order.First on the list would be a economic study to survey the amount of expected use the line would get. Currently, via Amtrak's Northeast Regional line, passenger trains come as close to Southwest Virginia as Lynchburg, but are expected to reach Roanoke by 2017.Bristol is about 150 miles from Roanoke, but with the expected positive results of the study, Amtrak access to the lowest corner of the commonwealth seems inevitable to some."We feel like we're the next stop," said Beth Rhinehart, CEO of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. "It would be transformational for the entire region. If you look at the history, in terms of what it would do, it would be huge."Rhinehart said these discussions have been present for a long time, but this time it feels different, given the collective momentum of support from city and regional officials and the general public.She envisions people stepping off the train in Bristol and exploring downtown's retail and restaurant offerings and perhaps staying a night or two in one of the two hotels that are being constructed there."We're seeing the pieces together," Rhinehart said.Johnson City's Dan Reese, who consults and works on transportation projects with the state of Tennessee, has traveled across much of the country and would relish the opportunity to leave from his backyard. From Bristol, potential riders like Reese, would be able to connect to Washington, D.C., and from there have the entire Amtrak system available to them.Reese said it wouldn't just be Bristol residents who would use the line, as it would bring in passengers from across East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Without another study, Reese said it would be unlikely that the train would extend even further to Johnson City.Reese applauds Amtrak for allowing bicycles on its trains, adapting to the changing transportation needs of its non-car-owning customers.Passengers could bring their bikes with them onto the train, hop off in any city, explore its offerings before catching the next train and continuing on their way.Kimberly Woods, a media relations spokeswoman with Amtrak, said the company was excited at the possibility of expanding into the state."We're delighted to know people have an interest in seeing the expansion of intercity passenger rail in Virginia," she said in a statement.Email Tony Casey at tcasey@johnsoncitypress.com. Follow Tony Casey on Twitter @TonyCaseyJCP. Like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tonycaseyjournalist.