VRE excursion tickets go on sale

By Bennie Scarton Jr.

Published: May 15, 2008

Tickets are now on sale for the Virginia Railway Express excursion train ride to Clifton and back during the Manassas Heritage Railway Festival.

Tickets for the trip are $6, with children under age two free. Trains depart every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Visitors Center in the Old Town train depot. The center is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ride usually sells out early.

Now in its 14th year, the festival will take place on June 7 around the depot and the Loy E. Harris Pavilion.

It will include a variety of model train displays, the interactive Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car, live entertainment for adults and children, rides and vendors of "railroadiana"—train memorabilia.

Along with a "Manassas and the Railroad" exhibit that will be on display at the Manassas Museum, the event is truly one of family fun, and a chance to learn about the rich heritage of Manassas.

Historic Manassas Inc., sponsor of the festival, has recently been notified that due to the increase in diesel fuel, the cost to operate excursion rides during the festival will increase by 76 percent.

In 2005, VRE requested $11,000 to sponsor the rides. Lack of sponsorship funds available to cover the unexpected expense ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the festival after a 10-year run, disappointing the community.

Requests by Manassas Mayor Douglas Waldron in subsequent years for Norfolk Southern to waive rail access fees that were part of the VRE expense were successful, thus lowering the costs and making HMI's job of securing sponsorship somewhat easier.

With this year's dramatic increase in expense, the excursion train was again put in jeopardy, until the newest bank to open for business in Old Town Manassas, Fulton Bank, stepped up as the festival's train sponsor—making a $5,000 contribution.

"We are so grateful that our newest Old Town business is wasting no time in becoming part of our community," said Linda Robertson, HMI executive director. "They are truly a hero of this year's festival."

Fulton's contribution to the festival doesn't quite cover this year's higher costs, and according to HMI's marketing and event coordinator, Steve Urry, the price of the excursion train rides will still increase slightly.

"We tried to keep the ticket prices the same each year," said Urry. "But even with the bank's generous support, we had to increase the price by $1 a ticket."

Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at 703-369-6707.