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Virginia Railway Express figured it would cutover and test signals on its Alexandria Franconia (AF) Interlocking Project from Oct. 9 through Oct. 26 — but VRE reports the job already is done.



VRE, along with the Commonwealth of Virginia, Amtrak, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway, had been planning the project for about a year to relieve bottlenecks at a low-speed junction where NS and CSXT tracks meet.



The $12.5 million AF Interlocking Project created four new tracks and 18 high-speed switches, doubling the number of trains that daily can pass through the area from 80 to 160. In addition, trains now may travel on the straightaway at 70 mph (instead of 45 mph) and switch tracks, 45 mph (instead of 10 mph).



The work was scheduled to be finished Oct. 26, but VRE reports it will resume its regular schedule Oct. 22, instead.