Strong spring leads to summer with a record-setting April

RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced today that its state-supported passenger rail service, Amtrak Virginia, saw another month of record ridership in April. With a total of 118,474 passengers traveling, April 2024 beat April 2023 by 9.8%. All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw ridership increases resulting in the highest ridership for the month of April since the Commonwealth started state-supported service in 2009. The Norfolk corridor again carried the most passengers with 44,616 traveling.

April 2024 vs April 2023 Comparison

“For 11 of the past 12 months, our Amtrak Virginia service has set a monthly record,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “VPRA was created because the General Assembly saw a need to provide more passenger rail options for travelers, and with these numbers, it’s clear they were right. We look forward to seeing more Virginians on board this summer.”

Monthly Ridership Totals – Last 12 Months

*Not a monthly ridership record.

Only the month of December 2023 did not set a record for monthly ridership over the past twelve months. At 110,352, it fell just short of the record of 111,082 set in December 2022. The month of August 2023 holds the all-time record for monthly ridership at 130,998.

VPRA manages the state’s Amtrak Virginia service, which includes eight daily roundtrips along four corridors. Service travels through the Commonwealth from Roanoke, Norfolk, Newport News, and Richmond to Washington, DC and points north including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

In addition to the Amtrak Virginia service, VPRA also has the lead on the state’s Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative. This forward-looking plan is designed to give Virginians an alternative to driving along congested highways and interstates — to provide some relief from what has become Virginia’s “all day rush hour.” The initiative calls for moving Virginians by using an existing rail corridor and building new infrastructure, eventually separating freight and passenger rail services. When complete, Amtrak Virginia will offer a total of 13 daily roundtrips traveling throughout the state and connecting to the Northeast Corridor.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering and expanding its state-supported Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service. The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg, VA. Since that time, Virginia’s state-supported passenger rail service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors. For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.

Follow us on social media: Facebook @VAPassengerRail, X @vapassengerrail, LinkedIn virginia-passenger-rail-authority, and YouTube @virginiapassengerrailauthority.

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Double-digit increases seen on all four corridors

RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) marked another record increase in ridership last month. During March, 123,658 passengers traveled on the state-supported Amtrak Virginia service. This was an increase of 21% over March 2023, which saw 102,087 passengers and was the highest ridership for the month of March since Virginia’s state-supported service began in 2009.

All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw double-digit increases year-over-year with Richmond seeing the greatest increase of 32.5%. The Norfolk corridor carried the most passengers, 45,185.

March 2024 vs March 2023 Comparison

NOTE:  March 2024 had five weekends while March 2023 only had four.

“As our ridership continues to set records, Virginia is fast becoming an example of how state-supported passenger rail service can be a formidable part of a state’s transportation mix,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA.  “We recognize that many people rely on their cars, however, by offering reliable rail service that goes where travelers want to go, we can take some of those cars off the road.  That’s a win-win for a state famous for its traffic.”

With the school spring break season leading up to Easter, spring travel began early this year.  Five weekends in the month of March also contributed to the record ridership.

Currently, Amtrak Virginia offers three daily roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, DC, two daily roundtrips between both Roanoke and Washington, and Newport News and Washington, and one daily roundtrip between Richmond and the nation’s capital.  Plans to expand the service are underway through VPRA’s Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative.  This innovative and forward-looking plan will give Virginians an alternative to traveling along congested highways and interstates. The initiative calls for increasing passenger rail service in the Commonwealth by purchasing railroad right-of-way and building infrastructure.

With the completion of TRV’s Phase 1 projects, two new Amtrak Virginia roundtrips are scheduled to launch in 2026.  The completion of TRV’s Phase 2 projects – which include a new bridge across the Potomac River — will result in three new roundtrips for a total of 13 daily roundtrips by 2030.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering and expanding its state-supported Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service.  The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg, VA.  Since that time, the Commonwealth’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors.  For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org. Follow us on social media: Facebook @VAPassengerRail, X @vapassengerrail, LinkedIn virginia-passenger-rail-authority, and YouTube @virginiapassengerrailauthority.

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Record ridership driving growth

WASHINGTON — More people are traveling by train with a record number passing through Virginia and North Carolina. The top five stations in the Southeast in 2023 were the Staples Mill Road Station in Richmond, Va., Alexandria, Va., Charlotte, N.C., Norfolk, Va., and Raleigh, N.C.

“The tremendous growth in ridership is a result of the substantial investments North Carolina and Virginia are making to expand and improve passenger rail,” Amtrak Vice President Ray Lang said. “Customers are taking advantage of a sustainable way to travel to the many destinations our network offers.”

Amtrak Virginia, the Virginia state-supported passenger rail service, offers 12 daily trains to the Richmond station for service to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York, and Boston. Customers can also access additional Amtrak service for travel to Raleigh, Charlotte, Savannah, Ga., and other cities as far south as Miami.

“Richmond is not just the capital of Virginia, it’s the epicenter of the East, connecting the Southeast and the Northeast by rail,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) which oversees the Commonwealth’s Amtrak Virginia service. “All three of these stations – Richmond-Staples Mill, Alexandria, and Norfolk – offer Virginians access to rail service connecting the Commonwealth with the rest of the east coast.”

In North Carolina, the Piedmont and Carolinian services offer daily roundtrips for travel between Raleigh, Charlotte, and points in between. The Carolinian, which travels daily from New York to Charlotte, and stops at the Staples Mill Road Station in Richmond, Va., and Alexandria, Va., are sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and operated by Amtrak.

“The growth we’ve seen in ridership in 2022 and 2023 is unprecedented,” said Jason Orthner, NCDOT’s Rail Division Director. “Continuing to work in partnership with Amtrak and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to increase connections and decrease travel time between destinations in the South and the Northeast is a priority to increase and enhance NC By Train service in North Carolina and beyond.”

The two states received federal grants to help continue pursuing their vision to expand service in the region.

In addition to Richmond, Alexandria, and Norfolk, Amtrak Virginia also serves Newport News, Roanoke, and twelve other Virginia communities. In 2023, the service set a ridership record of more than 1.3 million passengers, making the Commonwealth one of the most popular travel destinations on the Amtrak national network.

Plans are underway to expand Amtrak Virginia service through VPRA’s Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, resulting in two additional roundtrips in 2026 and three in 2030.

Amtrak is capitalizing on ridership growth by advancing historic infrastructure investments that will launch new and expanded services, advance safety and reliability, improve accessibility, drive economic development and enhance the customer experience.

*Calendar Year 2023

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering and expanding its state-supported Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service. The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg, VA. Since that time, the Commonwealth’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors. For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.

About Amtrak®
For more than 50 years, Amtrak has connected America and modernized train travel. Offering a safe, environmentally efficient way to reach more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada, Amtrak provides travelers with an experience that sets a new standard. Book travel, check train status, access your eTicket and more through the Amtrak app. Learn more at Amtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Increases seen on all four corridors

RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced today that more than 1.32 million passengers traveled on its state-supported Amtrak Virginia service during calendar year 2023. This was the highest ridership recorded since state-supported service began in 2009, and the total – 1,325,937 – beat calendar year 2022 ridership by 29.8%.

All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw increases year-over-year with Newport News leading the way with an increase of 36.8% over 2022. The month of August set a record for monthly ridership with 130,998 passengers traveling.

NOTE: CY2023 ridership includes eight daily roundtrips. Ridership for the first half of CY2022 includes just five daily roundtrips as three were added in July 2022 – one to Roanoke and one to Norfolk. The third, to Newport News, was the resumption of service cancelled due to the pandemic.

“Virginians continue to tell us that they want passenger rail to lighten the load on the state’s highways and to provide them with an alternative to sitting in traffic,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “And, we are listening. With recent grant funding and the selection of construction partners, the team at VPRA is pushing our Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative to the next level to provide additional passenger rail service in the Commonwealth as soon as possible.”

A national model for the expansion of state-supported passenger rail service, VPRA has purchased railroad right-of-way and is building infrastructure through its Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative.

Last fall VPRA was awarded two grants to fully fund projects in Northern Virginia. The Franconia-Springfield Bypass received a $100 million CRISI grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). VPRA was also awarded a $729 million grant through the FRA’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for the completion of Phase 2 of the TRV initiative. These investments will aid VPRA in completing the final design and construction of Long Bridge and all Phase 2 projects, which will relieve rail congestion that affects service throughout the Commonwealth and along the East Coast.

Currently, Amtrak Virginia offers three daily roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, DC, two daily roundtrips between both Roanoke and Washington, and Newport News and Washington, and one daily roundtrip between Richmond and the nation’s capital. Completion of TRV’s Phase 2 projects will allow for three new roundtrips. That will be in addition to the current eight roundtrips and the two that are scheduled to launch upon completion of Phase 1 projects in 2026 for a total of 13 daily roundtrips by 2030.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering and expanding its state-supported Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service. The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg, VA. Since that time, the Commonwealth’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors. For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.

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Month of June sets a record for ridership

RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced today that 1.26 million passengers traveled on its Amtrak Virginia service during the state’s fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023), setting an all-time record for fiscal year ridership. The total – 1,256,123 – beat the previous record of 894,065 set during fiscal year 2015.

The month of June also set a record for travel during that month with 111,212 passengers. The previous record for June was set last year when 85,533 passengers traveled. All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw increases year-over-year from June 2022 to June 2023. Overall ridership was up 30% over last June with the Newport News service seeing the greatest increase of 57.4% from June 2022 to June 2023.

June 2023 vs June 2022 Comparison

NOTE:  June 2023 ridership includes eight daily roundtrips, up from just five in June 2022.  Last July three roundtrips were added – one to Roanoke and one to Norfolk.  The third, to Newport News, was the resumption of service cancelled due to the pandemic. 

“These record-setting ridership numbers reflect the need for more investment in passenger rail in the Commonwealth,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA.  “With planned infrastructure improvements from Northern Virginia into Washington, DC including a new bridge across the Potomac River, new investment will benefit not only Virginians but also, those traveling to and from our nation’s capital and along the east coast.  It’s vital we continue to secure necessary funding for these projects to ensure rail is a viable transportation option in Virginia and beyond.”

VPRA’s Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative is a generational investment in rail infrastructure that will build high-performance passenger and commuter rail service in Virginia.  TRV projects will:

• Increase the state-supported Amtrak service between Washington, DC, and Richmond, resulting in near-hourly service along this corridor.
• Increase Amtrak service to Roanoke, Newport News, and Norfolk.
• Extend Amtrak service from Roanoke to the New River Valley (Christiansburg).

These investments will make Amtrak Virginia service an even more practical transportation alternative for thousands of Virginians.

Currently, Amtrak Virginia service offers three daily roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, DC, two daily between both Roanoke and Washington, and Newport News and Washington, and one daily roundtrip between Richmond and the nation’s capital.  The all-time record for monthly ridership on Amtrak Virginia is August 2022 when 119,280 passengers traveled.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering and expanding its state-supported Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service.  The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg, VA.  Since that time, the Commonwealth’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors.  For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.

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Growth of the state-supported service expected to continue through the summer

RICHMOND — Ridership on the Commonwealth’s Amtrak Virginia service set another record in April the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced today.  With 107,929 passengers traveling, April 2023 saw a 53.2% increase over April 2022.  It was the highest ridership seen in April since state-supported service began in 2009.  All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw an increase in ridership year-over-year for the month of April.

April 2023 vs April 2022 Comparison

NOTE:  April 2023 ridership includes eight daily roundtrips, up from just five in April 2022.  Last July three roundtrips were added – one to Roanoke and one to Norfolk, the third, to Newport News, was the resumption of service cancelled due to the pandemic.

“The growth in ridership that we have consistently seen over the past year confirms that rail is a necessary part of the transportation mix in Virginia,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “With the additional roundtrips we launched last summer, we anticipated an increase in ridership, and Virginians have responded in record numbers – proof that the convenience of train travel makes it more attractive than sitting in traffic or flying on a crowded plane.”

Summer Travel 

Start the busy summer travel season with a trip on board Amtrak Virginia.  With service to 17 stations in the Commonwealth and Washington, DC, and special discounts just for Virginians, Amtrak Virginia is the best way to travel this summer.

• Virginia Anytime Fares offer a 15% discount for travel within Virginia and to/from Washington, D.C. From the Amtrak app, use discount code V552.
• Small groups can travel together and save with Share Fares.
• Students between the ages of 17 and 24 can take advantage of the Student Discount. Also available on the Amtrak app with discount code V814.
• Discounts are also available for seniors, veterans and active duty military.
• Terms and conditions apply. To learn more or book online, visit com/Virginia.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering and expanding its state-supported Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service.  The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg, VA.  Since that time, the Commonwealth’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors.  For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.

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Virginia is for Rail Lovers

RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) today announced that January ridership on the Commonwealth’s Amtrak service set a record for the month of January. During the month, 87,300 passengers traveled, setting a record for the highest ridership in January since the Commonwealth launched state-supported service in September of 2009. January’s ridership topped the previous record for the month which was set in (pre-pandemic) 2020.

January 2023 vs January 2020 Comparison

When comparing this year’s January ridership to last year’s, the numbers show a strong rebound in post-pandemic travel, with every route seeing an increase.

January 2023 vs January 2022 Comparison

NOTE: Ridership declined in January 2022 due to a surge in the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

“The strength of these January ridership numbers – during what is usually a slow travel month – shows that demand for rail service across the Commonwealth continues to grow,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “It also reveals that more and more travelers are looking for alternatives and will choose rail when the service is reliable, safe, and on time.”

January’s numbers follow a strong year for the Commonwealth’s Amtrak Virginia service with 1,021,452 passengers traveling on all state-supported trains for calendar year 2022 – which set a record for yearly ridership as it surpassed the previous record of 953,008 set in 2019. During the year VPRA and Amtrak launched two additional roundtrips – one between Roanoke and Washington, DC and one between Norfolk and Washington, DC – and, also resumed one roundtrip between Newport News and Washington, DC that had been discontinued due to the pandemic.

The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported passenger rail service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg. Since that time, the state’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors. All four routes provide service within Virginia and to Washington, DC and points north including Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering the state’s Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service as an integrated, affordable, and convenient travel option and plays a critical role in mitigating current and future traffic congestion on Virginia’s highways, promoting economic development, and connecting communities by increasing passenger rail capacity, services, and ridership. For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.

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September ridership increased compared to pre-pandemic number

RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) today announced that ridership on the Commonwealth’s Amtrak service grew by 37.6 percent in the month of September as compared to pre-pandemic September 2019. During the month, 105,689 passengers traveled compared to 76,793 during the same month in 2019 (pre-pandemic).

September 2022 vs September 2019 Comparison

When comparing this year’s September ridership to last year’s, the numbers show the strong rebound in post-pandemic travel with every route seeing an increase.

September 2022 vs September 2021 Comparison

*Note: Richmond route only operated for four days in September 2021.

“Virginians are continually turning to the train to escape traffic and to travel in a cost-effective and comfortable way,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA.  “We are encouraged by our consistently strong ridership numbers, and we will work closely with Amtrak and our other partners to ensure our service is consistent, safe, and on time.”

Prior to the pandemic, Virginia’s highest ridership on its state-supported trains was August 2019.  Despite a dip in ridership which consistently occurs between August and September — as the busy summer travel season comes to a close — the September 2022 ridership of 105,689 was nine percent higher than the pre-pandemic record of 96,942 set in August 2019.

The Commonwealth of Virginia first launched state-supported passenger rail service in 2009 with one roundtrip between Washington, DC and Lynchburg.  Since that time, the state’s service has grown to include eight roundtrips daily with stops at 17 stations along four corridors.  All four corridors provide service to Washington, DC and points north including Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.

About Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was established in 2020 to promote, sustain, and expand the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is committed to delivering passenger rail service as an integrated, affordable, and convenient travel option and plays a critical role in mitigating current and future traffic congestion on Virginia’s highways, promoting economic development, and connecting communities by increasing passenger rail capacity, services, and ridership.

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