Virginia Secures $17 Million for Chesterfield Rail Service Upgrades

TL;DR: Chesterfield County is receiving $2.3 million in federal rail funding for safety improvements at two crossings, as Virginia secures $50 million for statewide passenger rail upgrades.

The story

Chesterfield County will receive $2.3 million in federal funding to improve safety at two at-grade rail crossings on Curtis Street and West Street. The improvements aim to support future grade separation and permanent closure of the crossings to reduce collision risk for both passenger and freight service. According to Virginia's transportation priorities, the Curtis Street crossing ranks as the second-highest priority crossing in the state based on expected collision costs and Federal Railroad Administration safety rankings.

The funding is part of a larger $50 million federal rail grant awarded to Virginia through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program, administered by the Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration. The announcement came August 14, 2026, from the Federal Railroad Administration, with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner jointly announcing support for Virginia's projects.

The Chesterfield County improvements are one of two major Virginia projects selected in the competitive federal grants process. The other project funds $15.6 million in state of good repair and accessibility upgrades at Staunton's Amtrak station, which serves the Cardinal line connecting New York City and Chicago three times weekly. The Staunton project will include platform enhancements, canopy improvements, and accessible routes with handrails and curb ramps.

The grants come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, enacted in 2021. The Federal Railroad Administration selected 41 projects nationally from 103 applications requesting $11.6 billion in federal rail funding. Virginia's selection reflects federal prioritization of safety improvements at rail crossings and passenger station upgrades that support existing Amtrak service.

Key players

• U.S. Senator Tim Kaine: Joint announcement of federal rail funding for Virginia projects
• U.S. Senator Mark Warner: Joint announcement of federal rail funding for Virginia projects
• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): Administering the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program
• Virginia Passenger Rail Authority: Recipient of Staunton station improvement funding
• Amtrak: Operating passenger rail service on affected routes

Why it matters: Eliminating dangerous at-grade crossings protects Chesterfield residents and traffic from collision risks while supporting continued reliable freight and passenger rail service. The Curtis Street crossing's ranking as Virginia's second-priority crossing underscores the safety urgency these improvements address.

Places

• Curtis Street crossing
• West Street crossing
• Staunton Amtrak station

Related links

• Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program
• Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors
• Amtrak Route Information

Read the original at Virginia Mercury →

Sources

• Virginia Mercury: Virginia Secures $17 Million to Upgrade Rail Service
• Federal Railroad Administration: National Railroad Partnership Program
• U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail