Roanoke senator says the future is here as Amtrak arrives Gene Marrano October 30, 2017 1 minute read On the way from Lynchburg to Roanoke this morning on the ceremonial first Amtrak passenger train, State Senator John Edwards (D-Roanoke) spoke to WFIR about what regular train service (starting tomorrow) means: Share: Post navigation Previous: GOP AG candidate says opponent has misused positionNext: Roanoke Valley Reads tackles difficult topic Related Stories Billy Strings breaks leg in Charlottesville; Roanoke show remains on schedule Ian Price April 21, 2026 Roanoke College teams up with online workforce education provider ed2go Gene Marrano April 21, 2026 Delta Dental of Virginia awards $825,000 in grants to bolster Virginia’s safety net clinics Web Staff April 20, 2026