3% VRE Rate Hike Approved | News

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Virginia Railway Express passengers will soon see a 3 percent fare increase.

The fare hike was approved last week by the railway's operations board and will take effect on July 1. It was discussed during a series of community meetings held from Washington to Stafford.

The minimum one-way ticket will go from $2.90 to $3, and the maximum one-way ticket will rise from $10.30 to $10.65.

The increase is expected to generate about $900,000 in additional revenue next year. That money will be used to pay for rising fuel costs and increased payments to Keolis, VRE's primary contractor that runs the day-to-day operation of the railway.

The last time VRE raised fares was in 2009.