Richmond-area Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan was in Petersburg Monday morning to distribute $1 million to renovate a local train station.

The leaky aluminum roof along the platform at Ettrick Station is familiar to McClellan, who says she took the train from here in high school to spend a week in Washington, D.C., learning how the federal government works.

“I come back here now as a congressman to present these funds to improve the station so that other children and their families can use the train in more places in an improved station,” said the congressman from Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District.

Chesterfield County Executive Kevin Carroll was also on hand Monday. He thanked McClellan for helping raise funds to support the rail line that runs across from Virginia State University, between several now-closed restaurants and boarded-up buildings.

“It’s better for us, it helps attract business and investment to our communities,” Carroll said. “We know we definitely need investment in this part of the county.”

DJ Stadtler of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said the first step of this project will be exterior improvements to the Ettrick station. Then the entire station will be replaced. And finally, a new, passenger-specific line will be built south to better connect North Carolina and central Virginia.

“We will re-lay the old track that was torn out,” Stadtler told Radio IQ. “This is a more direct and faster route.”

But don’t get too excited, because the groundbreaking ceremony for the new line heading south is not planned until 2030.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is considering a new deal with Norfolk Southern that could get commuter rail in the New River Valley up and running faster than other alternatives.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radiowas made possible with the support of Virginia Education Association.