Christiansburg station

File:Cambria Freight Station.JPG, which served as Christiansburg's train station from 1869 to 1906, is also still extant]]

The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was built through Christiansburg in 1857. Originally planned to go through the town center, it was rerouted to the north due to the concerns of town leaders. A train station was built in Cambria (which was a separate municipality until 1964).

Much of the railroad was destroyed by Union forces during the Civil War. In 1868–69, a larger one-story station was built. That station was itself too small after several decades; a new station was built in 1906 and the older station became the town's freight house.{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Montgomery/154-0048-0001_Christiansburg_Depot_1985_Final_Nomination.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cambria Freight Station|author=Gibson Worsham and Charlotte Worsham|date=January 1985|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|access-date=2016-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000333/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Montgomery/154-0048-0001_Christiansburg_Depot_1985_Final_Nomination.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Montgomery/CambriaFreightStation_photo.htm Accompanying photo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816120824/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Montgomery/CambriaFreightStation_photo.htm |date=2016-08-16 }}

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Even as local service petered out in the 1960s, the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) continued to run the crack Norfolk-Cincinnati Pocahontas and the local station counterpart on the same route, the Powhatan Arrow. The N&W also operated the Birmingham–Washington Birmingham Special (unnamed after February 1970 and cut back to Bristol in August 1970), the New Orleans-Washington Pelican (discontinued, 1970) and the Memphis-bound Tennessean. When Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail service on May{{nbsp}}1, 1971, it chose not to continue service on the two trains, thus ending service to Christiansburg.

Service was restored on March{{nbsp}}24, 1975 with the introduction of the Mountaineer service between Norfolk and Chicago. The Mountaineer was replaced by the Hilltopper on June{{nbsp}}1, 1977.{{cite journal |url=http://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-june-15-1977 |title=Hilltopper Begins Service |journal=Amtrak News |volume=4 |issue=11 |date=15 June 1977 |accessdate=4 February 2015 |archive-date=16 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016055802/http://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-june-15-1977 |url-status=dead }} The Hilltopper was discontinued on October{{nbsp}}1, 1979, ending rail service to Christiansburg for the second time.{{cite web |url=http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/christiansburg.htm |title=Christiansburg, Virginia |first=Hikki |last=Nagasaki |publisher=TrainWeb |work=USA Rail Guide}}

Amtrak's Northeast Regional service was extended to Roanoke station in late 2017. In January 2016, the New River Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization named three sites in Christiansburg{{nbsp}}– two off Franklin Street and one in Cambria{{nbsp}}– as possible sites for a station in the New River Valley should service be extended further to Bristol. Sites in Dublin, Pulaski, and Radford were also considered.{{cite news |url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/christiansburg/christiansburg-sites-considered-possible-passenger-train-stops/article_6030e66e-75e5-5e5b-a88e-0dd219754216.html |title=Christiansburg sites considered possible passenger train stops |newspaper=The Roanoke Times |date=14 January 2016 |first=Matt |last=Gentry |accessdate=14 July 2016}} In May 2016, the town purchased {{convert|1|acre}} of residential land off Franklin Street for potential future station use.{{cite news |url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/christiansburg/christiansburg-buys-property-for-proposed-rail-station/article_7f1cb975-8664-536c-a0a1-879ce7eb6fd5.html |title=Christiansburg buys property for proposed rail station |newspaper=Roanoke Times |date=August 17, 2016 |first=Tonia |last=Moxley |accessdate=August 18, 2016}}

In 2021, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Norfolk Southern reached an agreement for the state to purchase part of the former Virginian Railway for service to the New River Valley. A station was to be built at Merrimac, between Christiansburg and Blacksburg, rather than at Franklin Street or Cambria.{{cite press release |url=https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2021/may/headline-894911-en.html |title=Governor Northam Announces Agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway to Expand Passenger Rail to Southwest Virginia |date=May 5, 2021 |publisher=Virginia Office of the Governor}} {{As of|June 2024}}, however, the VRPA and Norfolk Southern were in negotiations to instead extend service on the N-Line (ex-Norfolk and Western) with a station at Cambria Yard. The VRPA indicated this could be done faster and cheaper than service on the Virginian line.{{cite press release |url=https://vapassengerrailauthority.org/vpra-and-norfolk-southern-in-discussions-for-new-rail-agreement/ |title=VPRA and Norfolk Southern in Discussions for New Rail Agreement |date=June 4, 2024 |publisher=Virginia Passenger Rail Authority}} {{As of|March 2025}}, preliminary construction is underway, with construction of the platform expected to begin by May 2025.{{cite news |url=https://www.wdbj7.com/2025/03/27/official-construction-nrv-passenger-rail-project-begin-soon/ |title=Official construction on NRV Passenger Rail Project to begin soon |newspaper=WDBJ-7 |date=March 27, 2025 |first=Annabelle |last=Kinney |access-date=March 29, 2025}}{{cite web |title=New River Valley Project – VPRA |url=https://vapassengerrailauthority.org/projects/nrvproject/ |website=Virginia Passenger Rail Authority |access-date=March 30, 2025}} The total budget of the project is $326.7 million.

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• [http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/christiansburg.htm TrainWeb USA Rail Guide – Christiansburg]

{{Amtrak Virginia stations}}

Category:Transportation in Montgomery County, Virginia

Category:Former Amtrak stations in Virginia

Category:Former Norfolk and Western Railway stations

Category:Buildings and structures in Montgomery County, Virginia

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1857

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1975

Category:Railway stations scheduled to open in 2027

Category:Future Amtrak stations in the United States

Category:Railway stations in the United States closed in 1971

Category:Railway stations in the United States closed in 1979