The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), in cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has begun the preparation of a Tier I Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Richmond to Hampton Roads Passenger Rail Corridor.  Developing a draft of the Tier I EIS is the first step in the EIS process.
 
The project area generally follows the Richmond to Petersburg to South Hampton Roads Corridor and the existing Amtrak corridor from Richmond to Williamsburg to Newport News. This rail service would serve as an extension of the Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) Corridor, providing rail connections to the Southeast, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
 
In the Tier I Draft EIS (DEIS), the project team will examine potential routes and consider possible environmental impacts for higher speed rail service. Consideration also will be given to schedules, ridership, and operational and capacity constraints.
 
The DEIS will be complete and available for public review and comment in early 2006. The entire document will be available in regional libraries and online. Public hearings also will be held in several locations in the project area. Public hearing dates and the DEIS release date will be announced through e-mail, a postcard mailing, newspaper advertisements, and press releases to regional media.
 
We encourage you to review the DEIS document to learn more about the alternatives and their potential impacts before you attend the Public Hearings.
 
Your comments are important to the team. Don’t miss your opportunity to be heard.
 
Tier I EIS and Tier II EIS Defined 
  
A Tier I EIS is required if a proposed project is being implemented by a federal agency, requires a federal permit, or has federal funding. Since the Richmond to Hampton Roads Passenger Rail Project could potentially be funded by federal money and will likely require federal permits, the requirement for impact analyses must be met.
 
The Tier I EIS will provide a general overview of the travel corridor and its study areas, identify potential impacts of each alternative, and suggest ways to mitigate or offset those impacts.
 
Following the release of the Tier I EIS, a more detailed Tier II EIS will follow as the project progresses. For a Tier II EIS, the team will analyze site-specific impacts for logical sections of the corridor and then determine specific alignment(s) of the high speed rail corridor.