PRESS RELEASE
August 10, 2005
Contact: Patty Nicoson
(703) 716-5750

DCRA Congratulates Project Team for Cutting Costs for Dulles Rail Phase 1

“The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project Team is to be congratulated on its first successful round of cost-cutting, which brings the cost of Dulles rail into a reasonable range,” said Delegate Kenneth Plum, Chairman, Dulles Corridor Rail Association.

“It is important to note that negotiations will take place with a contractor to provide further opportunities to reduce costs,” continued Plum.

In a Press Release dated August 10, 2005, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation said that it will submit its annual New Starts program update to the Federal Transit Administration on August 15, 2005. The update will include a revised capital cost estimate of $1.8 billion for the first phase of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which extends rail from the East Falls Church Metrorail station to Wiehle Avenue in Reston.

This figure is $600 million below the top of the range of estimates submitted in June by Dulles Transit Partners, LLC.  Project Director Sam Carnaggio has indicated that the route is the same, the stations are in the same locations and serve the exact same business and residential customers. “Our goal was to reduce the cost, not the service,” Carnaggio said.

The Dulles Corridor Rail Association is a strong proponent of the rail project. When the announcement of the first range of cost estimates was released, DCRA issued a statement saying that it supports strong management, accountability, and value engineering to produce cost savings. The goal is to achieve the best possible project at an acceptable cost.

DCRA is committed to seeing rail extended to Loudoun County in a timely, cost-effective, and community friendly manner to relieve the congestion that will occur as Fairfax and Loudoun counties continue to grow, as well as to serve the expansion of Washington Dulles International Airport to 45 million passenger trips and 53,000 employees by 2015.

For additional information, please contact Patty Nicoson, DCRA President, at
(703) 716-5750.