Amtrak officials joined local politicians Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Burke Centre Station to celebrate the official launch of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional train service.

The ceremony, attended by Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-At large), Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) and Del. David Marsden (D-41), was part of a six-stop “Whistle Stop Train Tour” embarked upon by Amtrak leaders to deliver the train to Lynchburg.

“Today, we mark another addition to the range of transportation options we offer,” said Ellen Kamilakis, Fairfax County Department of Transportation spokesman. “VRE riders will now be able to go into the district mid-day, and the serviced will open up central Virginia to this part of the state and vice-versa.”

The service is part of a three-year, $17 million pilot program in which the state funds the operation of the Northeast Regional, which originates in Lynchburg and ends at Union Station in Washington, D.C. The partnership allows residents near Virginia Railway Express (VRE) stations, like the Burke Centre Station, to travel from their homes to destinations as far north as Boston by transferring from the VRE line to an Amtrak line at the Alexandria station or Union Station in Washington, D.C. After three years, the state will evaluate the success of the program based on usage and decide whether or not to continue funding the service.

“The good thing about the program is that we can take the projections [for ridership] and test them out,” Cook said. “But the good news is that we have another option. It’s a plus-plus all around and it’s great for the community to be a part of this.”

Bulova discussed how the rail system has come full circle, as the county depended on trains in its early stages, and now, more than 100 years later, county residents are again looking to them to move about the area. She also praised the service, echoing the sentiment that the new rail service provides another mode of transportation to avoid congested roadways.

“We realize that the solution to our transportation challenges in Fairfax County requires a mosaic of solutions,” Bulova said. “We can’t just advocate for one thing. We need to connect the modes of transportation because it will open up new avenues.”

After the ceremony concluded at the Burke Centre Station, Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer, Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman and Norfolk Southern Chairman, President and CEO Wick Moorman boarded the train to move on to their next stop in Manassas. Following a brief ceremony there, they were scheduled to make stops in Culpeper and Charlottesviille, where they met Gov. Timothy Kaine (D). The group then traveled to Lynchburg for a concluding celebration.

The Northeast Regional Service officially opened for pubic use the following day, Thursday, Oct. 1. The service will expand to Richmond on Dec. 15.