Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-03
MT. VERNON LINE
. TO Be ABANDONED
Alexandria Railroad to Go
With Opening of New
Highway.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. January Sine
electric railway between this city and
Mount Vernon, part of the Mount
Vernon, Alexandria & Washington
Railway, will be abandoned shortly TO
make way for the $4,500000 Mount
Vernon Boulevard, according to infor-
nation just received here.
Negotiations for the sale of the right
OF way to the Federal Government have
been going on for some time and are ex-
pected to be concluded within few
days The rails will be strapped. The
division of the road between. Alexandra
and Washington will not be affected.
Government Price Unknown.
This line has carried millions of pas
sengers to Mount Vernon, the home and
tomb of George Washington and ma
tional shrine, in its SO years of existence.
The price the Government will pay has
not been made public, but it is under
stood to be in line with that paid for
other land acquired for the boulevard.
The present owners bought the road at
public auction, paying $750,000 for the
two divisions of total length of 16.1
miles.
While the boulevard will not follow
the railroad right of way the entire dis
lance, it will do so in several places.
All of the land at the Mount Vernon
terminus will be required for the pro-
posed park.
Before street car service can be
abandoned the road must secure per-
mission from the State Corporation
Commission to cease operations. pc
tition to this effect will be introduced in
the near future. The petition is eX-
pected to be granted, inasmuch as tra:-
f1c on the road had fallen off and the
road is being operated at loss.
May Relocate Road.
It would be possible to relocate the
road and continue operation, but rail-
road officials have deemed it advisable
to discontinue it entirely, due TO bus
competition and the additional COMPETE
ton which the new road will bring
Running its first car from this city
to Mount Vernon gates on September
l, 1892, the railroad for a number of
years furnished the main transportation
to the home Of the first President. The
overland route was for many years
tedious and rough, while a single boat
made but one round trip a day from
Washington. At first the electric trains
connected with the steam road in this
city and tourists were compelled 10
transfer to complete the trip. 1t was
not until June Z, 1896, that the electric
line was built between Washington and
Alexandria and through trains run to
Mount Vernon from Washington.
boat continues to operate. the
veteran steamer Charles Manchester
making two round trips in the Spring,
Summer and Autumn seasons.
AT its start the road was known as
the Washington, Alexandria & Mount
Vernon Electric Railroad Co. Later
years found the name changed to the
Washington Virginia Railway, which
name was used until the road was sold
at public auction a few years back. The
road Is responsible for the development
of the section along its right-of-way,
but in recent years few residents of
that section have used 1t for travel.
Bids on the preliminary work on the
boulevard south Of here and along the
railway will be opened January %.