{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/33.2-284.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/33.2-284.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/33.2-284.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/33.2-284.html"}],"law_id":54561,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54561,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-284","catch_line":"General powers of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation","history":"1992, c. 167, \u00a7 33.1-391.4; 2002, c. 355; 2013, c. 211; 2014, c. 805.","full_text":"The Department of Rail and Public Transportation has the following general powers:\n\n1\n\nTo accept grants from the United States government and agencies and instrumentalities thereof and any other source. To these ends, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation has the power to comply with such conditions and execute such agreements as may be necessary, convenient or desirable;2\n\nTo make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter, including contracts with the United States government, other states, agencies and governmental subdivisions of Virginia, and other appropriate public and private entities;3\n\nTo assist other appropriate entities, public or private, in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation services and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes;4\n\nTo represent and promote the Commonwealth’s interests in passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation; and5\n\nTo acquire and hold title to the land necessary to construct railway lines in order to reduce traffic congestion on highways and shift traffic to rail transportation and acquire by any means whatsoever, lease, improve, and construct railway lines, passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation facilities, and passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation equipment determined to be for the common good of the Commonwealth or a region of the Commonwealth and assist other appropriate entities in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation services and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":200355,"text":"The Department of Rail and Public Transportation has the following general powers:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":200356,"text":"To accept grants from the United States government and agencies and instrumentalities thereof and any other source. To these ends, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation has the power to comply with such conditions and execute such agreements as may be necessary, convenient or desirable;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":200357,"text":"To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter, including contracts with the United States government, other states, agencies and governmental subdivisions of Virginia, and other appropriate public and private entities;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":200358,"text":"To assist other appropriate entities, public or private, in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation services and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":200359,"text":"To represent and promote the Commonwealth’s interests in passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation; and","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":200360,"text":"To acquire and hold title to the land necessary to construct railway lines in order to reduce traffic congestion on highways and shift traffic to rail transportation and acquire by any means whatsoever, lease, improve, and construct railway lines, passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation facilities, and passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation equipment determined to be for the common good of the Commonwealth or a region of the Commonwealth and assist other appropriate entities in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation services and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes.","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13593,"edition_id":1,"name":"Department of Rail and Public Transportation","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13136,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:20","permalink":{"id":205257,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13593,"identifier":"5","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5","url":"\/33.2\/I\/2\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13136,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transportation Entities","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13135,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","permalink":{"id":204875,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13136,"identifier":"2","token":"33.2\/I\/2","url":"\/33.2\/I\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13135,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions and Transportation Entities","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12806,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","permalink":{"id":204787,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13135,"identifier":"I","token":"33.2\/I","url":"\/33.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12806,"edition_id":1,"name":"Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems","identifier":"33.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","permalink":{"id":204785,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12806,"identifier":"33.2","token":"33.2","url":"\/33.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":61437,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-281","catch_line":"Policy","url":"\/33.2-281\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-281","metadata":false},{"id":59251,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-282","catch_line":"Department of Rail and Public Transportation created; appointment of Director","url":"\/33.2-282\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-282","metadata":false},{"id":85569,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-283","catch_line":"Powers and duties of the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation","url":"\/33.2-283\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-283","metadata":false},{"id":54561,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-284","catch_line":"General powers of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation","url":"\/33.2-284\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-284","metadata":false},{"id":64792,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-285","catch_line":"Responsibilities of Department of Rail and Public Transportation","url":"\/33.2-285\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-285","metadata":false},{"id":78032,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-286","catch_line":"Urban transit agency strategic plans","url":"\/33.2-286\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-286","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":85569,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-283","catch_line":"Powers and duties of the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation","url":"\/33.2-283\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-283","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":64792,"structure_id":13593,"section_number":"33.2-285","catch_line":"Responsibilities of Department of Rail and Public Transportation","url":"\/33.2-285\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-285","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/33.2-284\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1992. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 167 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1992 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2002, chapter 355<\/a>; in 2013, chapter 211<\/a>; in 2014, chapter 805<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":205271,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54561,"identifier":"33.2-284","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-284","url":"\/33.2-284\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/33.2-284\/","token":"33.2\/I\/2\/5\/33.2-284","dublin_core":{"Title":"General powers of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 33.2-284","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Department<\/span> of Rail and Public Transportation<\/span> has the following general powers:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> To accept grants from the United States government and agencies and instrumentalities thereof and any other source. To these ends, the Department<\/span> of Rail and Public Transportation<\/span> has the power to comply with such conditions and execute such agreements as may be necessary, convenient or desirable; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> To make and enter into all contracts<\/span> and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter, including contracts<\/span> with the United States government, other states, agencies and governmental subdivisions of Virginia, and other appropriate public and private entities; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> To assist other appropriate entities, public or private, in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation<\/span> services and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> To represent and promote the Commonwealth’s interests in passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation<\/span>; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> To acquire and hold title to the land necessary to construct railway lines in order<\/span> to reduce traffic congestion on highways<\/span> and shift traffic to rail transportation and acquire by any means whatsoever, lease, improve, and construct railway lines, passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation<\/span> facilities, and passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation<\/span> equipment determined to be for the common good of the Commonwealth or a region of the Commonwealth and assist other appropriate entities in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation<\/span> services and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nGENERAL POWERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (\u00a7 33.2-284)\n\nThe Department of Rail and Public Transportation has the following general\npowers:\n\n1. To accept grants from the United States government and agencies and\ninstrumentalities thereof and any other source. To these ends, the Department of\nRail and Public Transportation has the power to comply with such conditions and\nexecute such agreements as may be necessary, convenient or desirable;\n\n2. To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental\nto the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this\nchapter, including contracts with the United States government, other states,\nagencies and governmental subdivisions of Virginia, and other appropriate public\nand private entities;\n\n3. To assist other appropriate entities, public or private, in the\nimplementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail, transportation\ndemand management, ridesharing, and public transportation services and the\nretention of rail corridors for public purposes;\n\n4. To represent and promote the Commonwealth’s interests in passenger and\nfreight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public\ntransportation; and\n\n5. To acquire and hold title to the land necessary to construct railway lines in\norder to reduce traffic congestion on highways and shift traffic to rail\ntransportation and acquire by any means whatsoever, lease, improve, and\nconstruct railway lines, passenger and freight rail, transportation demand\nmanagement, ridesharing, and public transportation facilities, and passenger and\nfreight rail, transportation demand management, ridesharing, and public\ntransportation equipment determined to be for the common good of the\nCommonwealth or a region of the Commonwealth and assist other appropriate\nentities in the implementation and improvement of passenger and freight rail,\ntransportation demand management, ridesharing, and public transportation\nservices and the retention of rail corridors for public purposes.\n\nHISTORY: 1992, c. 167, \u00a7 33.1-391.4; 2002, c. 355; 2013, c. 211; 2014, c. 805.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}