Virginia Railway Express sees decline in ridership

WASHINGTON Virginia Railway Express is seeing a drop in daily ridership, despite soaring gas prices and worsening highway congestion.

The commuter railway is blaming delays caused by track maintenance and heat restrictions, as well as parking problems.

V-R-E ridership declined about two percent, or by about 178 passengers, in the fiscal year that ended June 30th compared to the prior year.

That dip is a marked change for V-R-E, which saw ridership jump an average of 13 percent each year from 2000 to 2005.

Chief Executive Officer Dale Zehner says the decline in ridership has cost V-R-E more than one (m) million dollars in operating revenue and could lead to another fare increase next year.

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Information from, The Washington Times: http://www.washtimes.com