America's FAMOUS Gallery Cars and Virginia Railway Express!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Today, we take a look at Virginia Railway Express, who operate a fleet of locomotive hauled Gallery Cars!
Date of Travel: March 2022
Class of Travel: N/A
Rolling Stock: MP40PH-3C with Gallery IV
Operator: Virginia Railway Express
Service type: Manassas Line
Train Number: 325
Origin: Washington Union Station, Washington D.C., United States of America
Destination: Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
Cost of Ticket: $20 (£15.90, €19)
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Dylan, Seeing you do a review on our local commuter train that I take was great. Couple points. The service is designed around the Federal Work Force so that is one of the reasons that there inbound trains in the morning and outbound trains in the afternoon. The other reason for the few number of mid-day trains is due to the fact that the freight lines own the tracks and they limit the number of passenger trains that can use them. VRE has to compete with Amtrak for a limited number of availability. Now the cost - many if not most of the commuters get some kind of payment assistance from their employers. This is to try to get the number of cars off the road. That said a 1 hour train ride beats a 2 and sometimes 3 hour drive over the same distance. Glad to see you somewhat liked the VRE. It is a big stress reducer to me, no driving just sit back and drink your coffee. (which you can not due on metro)
Interessting! Thanks for the info
Actually, VRE does own a lot of the tracks on which they operate. This is true for the majority of commuter operations in the US. The whole "freight owns the tracks" argument is GROSSLY misinformed with all due respect. That is often thrown around as to why Amtrak is late or why commuter operations don't expand. Commutes and Amtrak have the highest allowable priority on any railroad's tracks. Regardless of who actually owns them. Freight railroads part like the Red Sea when Amtrak or any Commuter train is even in the vicinity. THAT is a fact. There are moments when a freight train doesn't fit in a siding or isn't making speed to get in the clear _before_ the arrival of a passenger train which then causes the passenger train to either take the siding or wait. This is usually the passenger train with all of the youtubers on board complaining about having to wait for a freight train without fully understanding what is actually going on, which then perpetuates the myth of freight RR's ignoring their federally mandated obligation to passenger service. The lack of midday trains is a direct correlation to the flow of passengers. It also has a lot to do with how the agency prefers to run the service and crew availability. Most commuter jobs run on an interim release. Meaning the Engineer and Conductor go on duty in the morning, run the train downtown, then layover for half the day only to report back on duty in the evening rush hour to repeat the steps in reverse. This is good and bad. For the commuters, it can be inconvenient because the number of trains is limited. However, a split shift is often a good money maker for crews. So there is a balance, in the end, VRE is run by an outside contractor which further limits its ability to quickly expand.
VRE's Fredericksburg line is on CSX's RF&P sub and the Manassas line is on that plus NS Washington District. VRE doesn't own any of it.
Dylan, please keep in mind that I395 and I495 are just as congested as the M20 during peak commuter hours. I was fortunate enough to get stationed in London (retired USN) in the mid-late 90s. I had the choice of Metropolitan, Central, and Chiltern Railways every day. Love watching your videos. Cheers from Virginia Beach.
I was a regular commuter on the Manassas Line. I always liked the service. Taking the train was faster than driving. I traveled from Manassas to Alexandria. In recent years, I traveled to L'Enfant Plaza. I always had a seat in the morning. Sometimes, for the commute home, I had to stand until Rolling Rd or Burke Center. Some trains were very crowded in the afternoon. Now, because a majority of federal workers/contractors are still teleworking, the trains are usually empty in the mornings and afternoons. I see the empty cars roll by when I get stopped by a VRE train at the crossing by my house. I like trains and I enjoyed riding VRE. However, I am glad that I telecommute now.
At $20 round trip it is still cheaper than driving from Manassas into DC with toll on I-66 plus parking plus certainty of bad traffic on I-66 and the 7 day pass making it even more worthwhile. But you do have to add cost for metro connections, risk of weather related cancelation and that.
$20 is a helava expensive return fare for 30 odd miles return. Same fare in Australia would be $9 return and trains run hourly for same or even bigger distance. And I thought our trains were expensive.
As for the design being from the '80's: Chicago's Metra has been using cars of the same basic design since at least that, if not earlier (some of their coaches have 70's vibes!)
a lot of Metra cars date from the 1950s
Great video! I ride this train almost every day, and I swear, I have the prettiest commute in America. The woods between Manassas Park and Burke are gorgeous, as is Lake Aconitik, the Potomac and Even the old tunnels into Union Station.
They gallery cars were used many years ago on the Southern Pacific commuter service between San Francisco and San Jose. They've also been used by METRA in Chicago commuter service, and may have been pioneered there by Chicago & Northwestern.
They were pioneered by the C&NW. I rode them as a child in the 1960's.
VRE like DC metro is highly dependent on federal government employees and contractors using the system to commute to and from the offices. It has been a slow process to bring workers back. Many might never return if work from home becomes permanent. Until these commuters return, the trains will be sparsely populated. Also, DC metro has been having issues with trains and train operators being taken out of service thus reducing service levels. VRE commuters typically take metro from Union. But with metro having problems it will cause the few that do need to commute now to drive.
VRE also stops at L'Efant plaza which is right near a bunch of federal office buildings. So a good number can take it direct to work.
I thought most people would be back at the office by now
I’ve seen commuter rails that get heavy ridership on Sundays, for example if Tottenham play at home, even the E. Croydon to Victoria line gets squished
@@Snorkitty I had to take a middle seat on the LIRR this past Sunday!
What also helps put butts in the seats is many federal employees and military are eligible for a monthly stipend that directly pays for their travel, which I think is around $280 a month now. With gas prices and tolls for people taking I-66 if they have to drive, taking the VRE is what many of them will choose. Easier to sit on a train for an hour while reading or playing on your phone than watching the road driving through rush hour.
Wow, Amtrak 160 at 8:47, a special 50th anniversary unit painted to resemble the P32-8BWH's original "Pepsi Can" scheme! Great catch!
You're the best Dylan, and thanks for crossing the pond and reviewing US Trains. I agree we need more!! Great going on the voice-overs as well; it makes each video more personable and enjoyable.
Thanks!
I'm impressed that those gallery cars could have such a retro design, but also be a facelifted version with modern technology such as power plugs, digital signage, and automated announcements! There are probably power plugs at other seats, but not in the one you're seated in.
I also look forward to bi-directional weekend service from DC to Fredericksburg and Manassas, finally in the works
Those rail cars are similar in arrangement to Caltrain’s cars on the route from Gilroy into San Francisco. I enjoyed the single seat upper very much.
This is a great video! Thanks for posting it! VRE is awesome!!
Nice video! I’m from Northern Va so it’s cool to see this! Also, the locomotive was a MP36PH-3C
It’s always interesting whenever I’m at Union Station and I’ll see VRE trains heading to the yard or about to start work. And then there’s MARC doing the same thing with mostly the same loco model. It’s interesting how much change the two have gm undergone compared to each other since I’ve lived here
Glad to see the details of Washington Station
Hey Dylan , It just looks to me like America has some great trains and some fantastic places to visit ... you are so lucky to go to all those places over there ... what a beautiful place it looks.
Dylan, you are correct in your assessment that the VRE has not yet achieved its peak potential. It’s in the process of going through a very substantial infrastructure upgrade called the “Transforming Rail in Virginia” program which will make it a much more frequent service with trains in both directions all day by 2030.
In Chicago, the metra commuter trains to the western suburbs are laid out the same way.
Thank you for a great Video ! I really like the VRE trains, and considering the locos and Gallery cars are now at least 10 years old, they are still immaculate. The service is designed for peak travel only, and it is odd that both the Fredericksburg and Manassas line have one return run midday. It doesn’t operate at weekends either, but you should see the use at L’Enfant and Crystal City in the late afternoons ! Comparison with Leeds to Huddersfield is not really appropriate, for the two VRE runs are much longer, and every station has Park and Ride facilities which are vast compared to any in the U.K.
Thanks! Love the voice overs in lieu of subtitles 😊
You missed a tourist opportunity. Manassas was the scene of two of the most important Battles of the American Civil War. The Battlefield is just out side of the town. The Confederates called them First and Second Manassas. The Union named them after one of the main objectives. First and Second Battles of Bull Run. That small river you passed is known as Bull Run and formed one flank of the Battlefield. The first Battle of Bull Run was the first real Battle of the War and the People of Washington went out by horse and carriage and made a picnic out of the spectacle.
Another great video of your latest USA experiences. I experienced Chicago's Gallery Cars back in 1995 while there for a few days and commuted several times between Harvard and Chicago Union on the former CNW route. I have to say the Virginia Express Cars are quite smart and adequate for a commute. I see by other's comments the reason why this service is less frequent in the off peak. As to your comment about the fare, I would suggest that it seems quite reasonable for a day pass when you consider the hassles of driving, encountering toll roads and congestion plus the eye-watering cost of commuter parking in a downtown parking station. Looking forward to your next offering. Cheers from Michael downunder on a day when we expect to change our Federal Government (Election day today and our current Prime Minister is on the nose with many voters).
Gallery cars were first used on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (aka "The Burlington Route", or "The Q") in 1951. They are still used, in a more updated form, for the entire Chicago area Metra system. This includes electric versions to the south suburbs as well as on the separately operated South Shore Line, traveling into Northwest Indiana.
Really love your USA rail travels. Thanks so much for posting
Great video you did a great job at this
Another issue for those who drive is parking. The number of parking spaces available in reasonable proximity to most work destinations is limited. Moreover, the cost of parking can be quite high unless your employer provides it or subsidizes your parking expense.
So when you are going down the stairs, ahead of you, you see a down escalator. The elevator is location opposite of that escalator in the first corridor nearest to the waiting area.
These are the exact same cars used by Chicago's Metra service on many lines. The difference is that these look like they just came out of the shop! Ours look like war surplus. 🤣
I love this one
I love the BI Level gallery cars.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Did good! I love it
Washington DC as the Capital City of the USA is beautiful and the weather looks really nice. Great video as always. 😄
Just posted on TH-cam by
High Speed Rail Alliance
is a presentation (45 min last 15min Q&A) entitled
Virginia's Passenger Rail Expansion Plans
detailing proposed rail improvements along this corridor
American locomotives are scarily massive
I agree 😅
Very similar to Metra commuter trains in Chicago. You shouldn't expect outlets to charge phones or free wifi. But you will always have pretty clean bathrooms 🚻
Great short trip. Something unique on some US Commuter Rail is the Cab Car, especially the Superliner Cab Car.
I think National is still in the airport's name.
Thanks for the review. These trains look very well mantained although I agree the interior galley design is a bit odd. I hope commuter numbers go up again, given how few passenges there seemed to be.
The reason VRE trains are so limited is because VRE has to share the tracks with Amtrak and freight which means limited capacity on the tracks especially where there are only 2 tracks. CSX limits the trains the number of trains they can run. VRE does have future expansion plans to operate all day long.
The train that passes at 8:14 is hauling a rake of old Budd Metroliner cars. Metroliners were a type of EMU that was not successful, and many were converted into Amfleet coaches. You can see where the pantograph used to be on the roof at the rear of the sixth car.
Hard to believe they were developed around the same time as the first Shinkansen bullet train and thus expected to perform just as well!
Nope, those are not former Metroliner EMU's. They are Amfleet I cars that date from the 70's. Only the Metroliner coaches (2nd class) were converted to cab cars for use on push-pull trains.
@@erichhouchens3711 Explain the old pantograph mounting points then?
@@still_guns Those are WiFi/5G receivers mounted on one end of an Amfleet I cafe car. There is no cab on either end of that car. I worked for Amtrak for 19 years on the NEC as both a Tower Operator and a Train Dispatcher so I know what a Metroliner EMU/9600 series cab car looks like. Next time you're riding Amtrak walk towards the cafe car and see how your WiFi signal gets stronger.
Pre-Pandemic it was much more expensive to take the car into DC because parking is $400-$500 a month if your work doesn't pay for it.
Funny you mention they look like they're out of the 1980s... The gallery car design dates all the way back to the 1950s! While those VRE coaches at least looked clean and new inside (as far as I could tell watching on my phone at least), I've always thought the design looks really quite dated as you said. I suppose the ease of ticket checking for conductors is a legitimate upside compared to the fully multilevel coaches I'm used to being from farther northeast in the US (ex. MBTA, NJT), but really I think that's just all the more reason for ticket checking to be primarily handled at the station via fair gates or some such.
I’ve really wanted to try a journey on VRE and seeing that there’s an option for reverse commuting is great! Even if that option is low. I feel like VRE could be a little more successful if they actually owned the two lines the run on, but I think they’re trying to do so. Plus a lot of commuter services around the US seem to work mostly on a peak-service with a few reverse options. If VRE still had some smaller power to work lighter trains, and some more timeslots from CSX, there’s a bit more potential
If I am not mistaken (I've tried to find a definitive answer without success), the reason for the gallery cars was not ease of checking tickets (up until at least the 1970s there were two "conductors" per train, and they could easily have separated to do the upper and lower levels), but loading guage. At the time these cars were built (beginning in the 1950s), dropped-center railroad cars were uncommon (or nonexistent? - I'm not certain). Building a true double-decker car with the first level above the bogies was possible, but would have resulted in a very tall railcar; one that was too tall for the loading guage.
Newer "true" doubledecker railcars are (almost?) always built with a dropped center, allowing for two full levels without being excessively tall.
If you look at the sections in the film from the lower level, you can see that the upper level floor is about at shoulder height, above the seats of the lower level, which have a lowered "ceiling". This allows the car to be less tall than it would be as a full double-decker, yet still give additional seating capacity (although less than a true double-decker).
But with the newer design of true double-decker railcars - with a dropped center section - the gallery cars should probably be considered obsolescent. In 2021, for example, Metra (Chicago) chose to order new true double-decker railcars, after having difficulty finding any supplier to build gallery cars.
This is also the station that had a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 crash into the basement.
Excellent r3view
I live in northern VA and I would agree it hasnt reached it's potential yet. Ive never had the chance to ride VRE because of the strictly commuter timetable it keeps. However Virginia is investing a lot into rail in the next decade so I believe the goal is to expand VRE to evening/weekend service
This train car is much like Chicago's Metra. Metra does have outlets but not sure about the upper level.
Heritage Genesis leading what looked like the Crescent.
VRE train schedules are probably limited by both funding constraints and freight rail restrictions, as they use freight carrier tracks - and as you noted, with freight carrier levels of maintenance. VRE is much newer than the venerable services north of Washington, including MARC and Amtrak's Corridor services. Those serve the much more heavily populated Northeast Corridor. The Corridor itself is, as you know, dedicated primarily to passenger service, and thus has a much richer schedule. If you want to see better rail service in Virginia, you might try Amtrak's Newport News extension out of DC.
Gallery cars have been build since the 1970s. Canadian Pacific used them for the Montréal cimmuter train service to Rigaud from mid 1970s. Unlike the ones in the USA, there was no "shelf" hung from one floor of the upper deck, so conductor had free access to both sides and the shelf below the air conditioning vent was lower to allow for more lugggage as well as winter coats.
The central vestibule allows 3 people to get on/off at same time, which is better than the trains of the day that had vestibules at each end, each allowing one in/out at a time.
The tracks from the end of the Union station tunnel to Alexandria are CSX (freight railway) and belong alexandria are Norfolk Southern (if I am not mistaken) and they don't want trains using their tracks so it is a constant fight for both Amtrak and VRE to increase frequencies. And because they are freight, they won't allow electrification.
If i remember correctly, the design of the gallery coach dates back to the 1940s and it has persisted for so long because of the benefits explained in the video. However, they do have some accessibility issues.
This looks like it was videoed in early March.
Hey Dylan there are elevators for disable people properly was in another area of the rail line
Thanks for the info
🚶🚈✌️👍
✋ Extra, good job 👏👌
Wow nice view, I like to see new places ✌
Great movie 👍 Bravo 👋
And I have a new movie from a walk around the city 😊
Regards, DJ Janusz from Warsaw Poland ✌ 🇵🇱✋
Can you do a video on Chicago Metra pls
The price seems pretty consistent with what I'd pay to take GO Transit from Oshawa into Toronto, a similar distance, although the service is more frequent.
The likely reason the gallery cars look more dated than they actually are speaks to VRE's need for railcars that are fully compatible with some of VRE's older cars, which are former METRA rolling stock, with some of them pre-dating METRA, when they were built for the Chicago & Northwestern and Burlington railroads back in the 1950s.
METRA, the single largest user of gallery cars, is slowly phasing out their use, in favor of Alstom Coradia Multi-level cars. The current order of 200 Coradias will replace 25% of METRA's current gallery rolling stock, with an option to purchase 300 more.
I really enjoy ur Amtrak videos
Thanks you!
great review
Great content as allways 🚆👍🏻
How do u get onto the second floor of the coach?
Edit: nvm I know now lol
Great trip report
Thanks!
Caltrain and Metra both use the same fleet - all of Metra’s coaches are gallery cars and 75% of Caltrain’s fleet is too
Using VRE enables avoidance to h3avy traffic
Great Vid!
Thanks!
@@DylansTravelReports can you please do a video on Chicago Metra pls
The reason VRE trains do not have wi-fi is that there are dead zones in VRE territory
Try driving and parking in DC and you'll see what a deal your ticket was. Parking is very expensive and the traffic is a pain.
VRE has limited service because the have share the tracks with Norfolk southern and CSX.
I’m in no rush to travel on trains in the USA.
I'd just electrify the line and run Stadler KISS EMUs
8:49 Pepsi can heritage unit!
You're dead wrong about VRE being more expensive than travel by auto. I seem to recall a trip on Route 66 toll lanes to cost $47 each way during peak hours. This taking twice the time of a VRE trip. Finally, bear in mind that VRE is a private carrier, not subsidized by the government.
VRE is absolutely subsidized it wouldn’t have enough money to operate without government funding
The gallery cars were first introduced in Chicago back in the 1960's. This was an effort to increase capacity by adding seats on a second level. The opening was to allow the conductor (UK: guard) to reach up and collect tickets. Today they're used on VRE, METRA (Chicago), Nashville (used METRA cars) and San Francisco (Caltrain). The gallery car concept has generally fallen out of favor with METRA and Caltrains now ordering full bi-level cars. Most other cities with commuter rail service have opted for Bombardier full bi-level cars. As for VRE it's kind of strange that they went with gallery cars. When they started service in the early 90's they used single level cars built in Brazil. As traffic grew they soon needed something bigger. This caused them to lease some spare Bombardier cars from Seattle's Sounder service. These cars were perfect for VRE as they offered higher capacity and platform level low boarding. Strangely enough when it came time to order new cars (Seattle needed it's cars back as it's traffic grew) they chose gallery cars. Now VRE runs a Proof Of Payment (POP) operation which means conductors don't need to check/lift tickets. Instead roving fare inspectors do sweeps of the trains every now and then. This means the opening between the bottom and top level was un-needed. This also meant at least one car on each train have to have a built in elevator/lift for wheelchair users. The choice of 1960's gallery cars made no sense what so ever. This would be like a TOC in the UK deciding to order new Pacers!
1950s actually!
That last sentence sent a shiver down my spine. Don't give them ideas
Gallery cars (or carriages in English parlance) are a most unusual configuration but there’s a definite charm to them!
11:41 A Dyson AirBlade in a Train Restroom???????
Do you have any UK trips planned ..? thks
I did, but I had to rearrange this, but they'll be coming soon hopefully.
Florida's Tri-Rail also uses similar looking double-decker cars. They & Amtrak long distance trains operate on tracks between Miami & West Palm, on a set of tracks about 1/2 mile west of the Brightline/FEC tracks.
The original design of the Gallery Car dates back to the 1950's for railroads like the Southern Pacific long before anyone really cared about accessibility, unfortunately the cars are showing their design age.
The price does seem a bit steep for the distance travelled. The platform at track 24 looks like it could use a good tidying.
Boa tarde Dylans lindo trem 🚆 🚆 amtrak gostei 👍 show americana
Just wanting to let you know that there is a bot in the comment section that posted an inappropriate link. I'd recommend making it so links can't be posted in the comment section.
Thank you for pointing it out, I'm going back through all the videos and trying to delete those comments for him :)
@@elijade99 You're welcome.
Thanks!
@@DylansTravelReports You're welcome. These bots have been a real problem lately.
Yo! I live right next to Manassas, you came to my town that’s so cool!
is it an Upper Deck, or a really tight Prison with Bars up there?
Must admit I had the same thought - Alcatraz on wheels.
👍👍👍👍
nice video mate ,what i love about stations in the US they are mostly really impressive buildings and so big pity the train service is c--p !!
The upper level configuration is the oddest I've ever seen, but if ut works, it works. The cars do seem dated with no tray tables. sockets or wi-fi, but I suppose on a commuter line these aren't absolutely necessary. Ticket is costly compared with the Bay Area's BART. Like you said, worth it for a single trip experience but nothing special.
I think BART is a metro while this is commuter rail, so obviously this would have a higher cost. But it is still too much in my opinion
I think you've summed it up quite nicely. If the train is less convenient, and no better in terms of pricing, then of course regular commuters are going to take up other forms of transport - in this case, the automobile (or car).
It seems that train travel in the United States is much less common than train travel in the United Kingdom, and I can see why.
Yes, but what happeened to the MONDAY reports?
They’re no longer a thing
@@transitcaptain Travel reports every Monday and Friday it says at the beginning?
No it doesn't?
@@thomas-xj1hs he hasn’t updated it yet
Dylan made an announcement recently that he was working on some long videos with lots of editing involved and that for a brief time he had to suspend the Monday installments in order to do the work. It takes a huge amount of work to do two shows a week.
very interesting, Dylan, thanks
how does a wheelchair user, or even a person with reduced mobility, even get on those trains in the first place - those steps look pretty fierce
These trains are wheelchair accessible. I guess you didn't notice the wheelchair sticker each time Dylan went into the vestibule.
@@deepnation10009 yes I did notice the sticker, but couldn't figure out how they would get past the steps
@@carolinegreenwell9086 Those stairs have lifts. Take a look at this: th-cam.com/video/UgwGMQg_BFs/w-d-xo.html
@@deepnation10009 that is neat, thank you very much
The design of these carriages is really a good example of why the US is still so far behind other countries when it comes to rail travel. I get the impression that you have a bunch of old dudes in charge, who think that they are still living in the 1960's and refuse to do anything innovative that could bring the railways up to date. I know a few states DO take it seriously, but they are sadly a minority. They even still use those stupid bells from the steam era.
Oh, that’s a bell, is it? Sounds like someone whacking a scaffolding pole with a wrench.
The bells are required by federal regulation as a warning device. Most American rail lines are not fenced and the passenger platforms are often at track level so passengers will walk across the tracks to access other platforms. Ringing the bells helps to keep passengers aware of approaching trains. Although admittedly there are plenty of people who ignore the bells or claim to never hear them.
So weird your in my backyard.
Yes tram in the USA sometimes refers to a cable car but in most of the rest of the world it refers to a sort of light rail often with on street running.The train driver is referred to as an engineer or motorman but obviously they'd know what train driver ment as it's pretty obvious!
First or Second Manassas?
I am always wondering how it is possible to have such great hallways and great buildings but the platform area looks like crap where you go through what looks like an emergency exit. Same thing in new york city. Great penn station, but platform area looked like it would be from a 3rd world. smelly, hot and dark and no real access
Agreed. I was genuinely shocked by how unpleasant (and frankly, unsafe) Penn Station felt, and how the narrow passageways, platforms and escalators made it so hard to move luggage around. As a lone female with a heavy case it was the very worst part of my travels in the US.
I assume you're talking about Moynihan (the Amtrak part of Penn)? The older part of the station still used by NJT/LIRR still matches the look of the platforms unfortunately...
Trains Station 🚉
now you understand why Americans don't use rail services. High prices, spotty service & time delays. Not something you can count on. A clean loo is a huge plus. We generally don't have them on short commuter trains. Considering current gas prices, rail travelers may start picking up more people. Another nice one I can relate to. My hubby was stationed at Manassas for his military training. Safe journeys.
Me and my dad had the same problem finding the ticket machine for Baltimore’s commuter train back to the airport because it does not take the smart trip fair cards so we had to pay very much expensive trip because they put a $10 surcharge for buying tickets on the train I think they should put the taking machines out where you can find them and accept the transit fare card and get rid of the $10 surcharge for the tickets on the train
The Eastern Time Zone version of Caltrain SF to San Jose Diridon Gallery Cars. In train sim world this can be created by Creators Club modification on the Caltrain Version