VRE extends operations and maintenance contracts with Keolis
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
Virginia Railway Express
David C. Lester
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will continue to utilize Keolis Rail Services Virginia, LLC for operating and maintenance services. On the recommendation of the VRE Operations Board, the commuter rail service’s parent commissions last week approved extending one contract and amending another to allow for the seamless continuation of train service between Central and Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. “We are pleased to continue our relationship with Keolis,” said VRE Operations Board Chairman Gary Skinner. “Their train crews and maintenance staff partner with us daily to ensure the safety, health and comfort of our passengers. We appreciate their commitment and dedication to our organization and those we serve.”‘’We are honored and delighted that the VRE has entrusted Keolis to operate their services for five more years, which will bring us to 15 years,” said Keolis North America President and CEO Clement Michel. “Over the past few years, the VRE has gone through exciting changes and made significant investments in the communities we serve. We look forward to continuing this partnership as VRE goes through further changes and to provide safe and reliable services for its 20,000 daily riders.”
VRE will extend the contract with Keolis for operating services for the second and final five-year option period, which runs through June 2025. The work performed under this contract includes providing certified locomotive engineers and conductors to operate VRE commuter rail trains, as well as managing claims and reporting to the Federal Railroad Administration. VRE also will increase the maintenance services contract authorization for fiscal year 2021. The work performed under this contract includes lifecycle maintenance and extensive rolling stock repair through a task order process, as well as daily and periodic servicing, inspection and repairs of locomotives, passenger railcars and maintenance facilities. The 12th largest commuter rail service in the U.S., VRE is a transportation partnership of the Northern Virginia and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation commissions. VRE’s mission is to provide safe, cost effective, accessible, reliable, convenient, and customer responsive commuter-oriented passenger rail service. The 4.5 million rides the railroad provides annually remove some 100 million vehicle miles from Northern Virginia’s interstates. Learn more at www.vre.org.
A Virginia Railway Express press release.
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