Dinner links: Virginia rails rule

Money train to Lynchburg

Amtrak’s extension of the Northeast Regional train to Lynchburg is so successful the line has been making a profit, saving Virginia the money it planned to use to subsidize the line. It beat November’s goal by 136%. (Lynchburg News Advance, MCS)  (Tip: MCS)

VRE gains Gainesville study

VRE authorized a $2.7 million contract to perform an environmental study to extend service 11 miles into the Gainesville area. (Post, MCS)  (Tip: MCS)

Work out on the train

Time riding on the train or bus doesn’t need to be wasted. Exercise! Fitness experts and personal trainers describe exercises to do in small spaces, such as the Classic Commuter Crunch and Seated Twist. (Daily Beast)

Out of sight but not out of mind

Steve Offutt says VDOT dumped I-66 snow over the retaining wall and onto the Custis Trail. Not cool. (CommuterPageBlog, Gavin Baker)  (Tip: Gavin Baker)

Driver texting?

After Unsuck DC Metro posted a reader’s pictures of a driver texting while driving, WMATA fired the driver under their new zero-tolerance policy. (Fox5) Update: Fox has corrected the story, and is now reporting the drive is not yet fired while Metro investigates.

DC eagerly repeating DC USA

DC is giving a tax incentive for parking garage at Constitution Square in NoMA. Matt Yglesias once challenged the Cato Institute to start condemning parking built with public funds; they’re now obliging. (DCmud)

It’s not “your” space

PassiveAggressiveNotes.com collates notes written to drivers who park in “their” spot they shoveled out during the recent snowstorms. A non-passive aggressive note: Public spots are still public, despite extreme winter weather. (Cavan)  (Tip: Cavan)