NEW RIVER VALLEY, Va. – Construction advances on Christiansburg’s new train station, marking a significant step toward restoring passenger rail service to the New River Valley after a nearly 50-year absence.
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority expects service to begin in 2027, returning passenger trains to an area that hasn’t seen rail service since the Cambria Yard Station closed in 1979.
“There’s always been excitement about getting the train down to the Blacksburg, Cambria, Christiansburg area because there’s such a great market there with the college students, with the beautiful scenery that you see along the 81 corridor,” said DJ Stadler, executive director of Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. “There was a huge demand for that.”
The project comes as Virginia experiences record-breaking rail ridership. According to Stadler, 2025 saw unprecedented passenger numbers, with most months setting new ridership records.
The new station will offer an alternative to driving on Interstate 81, a route notorious for heavy truck traffic and challenging mountain terrain.
“I-81, it’s just a tough road to drive,” Stadler said. “You’ve got a lot of trucks on that road, and when it goes uphill, everything slows down. This just gives folks another way to get to Southwest Virginia and from Southwest Virginia up to where they want to go.”
Initial plans include daily morning and evening train service, allowing for day trips between Christiansburg and Roanoke.
Local resident Joe Cook, whose wife works at Virginia Tech and regularly travels by train from Roanoke, welcomes the addition. “We’ve been told there’s going to be a morning train and then an evening train. So if you wanted, you could take it to Roanoke for the day and come back in the evening,” Cook said.
The Christiansburg station represents more than just a local transit hub. According to Stadler, it’s a crucial step in Virginia’s broader rail expansion plans.
“Our next stop is Christiansburg,” Stadler said. “We’re not going to get to Bristol until we get to Christiansburg. We’re going to get to Christiansburg, we’re going to high five and then we’re going to see what’s next and just keep on going.”