A long-awaited state report on providing rail service to Bedford projects the line would boost ridership by 7 percent on the planned Lynchburg-to-Roanoke route, a relatively low estimate that has disappointed advocates for a Bedford stop.
The study, released this week by the state Department of Rail and Public Transportation, also estimated the costs for the station at well more than twice the price tag estimated in a town-commissioned report released in March.
The state agency’s study estimated costs for the station to be between $5.7 million and $11.4 million, depending on the final site and platform design .
It also predicted an additional 2,800 riders annually to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor route. DRPT estimates that Roanoke’s new rail service, scheduled to begin in late 2017, will generate about 38,000 passengers per year.
The town-commissioned study — compiled by the engineering firm Wendel, which produced a 2014 study on the Roanoke station — estimated building costs for the Bedford station at $2 million. It also projected the town rail stop would yield 26,000 passenger trips annually.
