NEWS RELEASE – July 1, 2025
Commemorating 5 key milestones in the first 5 years
RICHMOND — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) is celebrating five years of promoting, sustaining, and expanding the availability of passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth by commemorating the top five milestones of the Authority’s young life. Since its creation by the Virginia General Assembly on July 1, 2020, VPRA has worked to expand passenger rail service in the Commonwealth while laying the groundwork for future transformative projects.
VPRA’s top five milestones in five years include:
- Launch of Transforming Rail in Virginia: VPRA was created to implement the state’s forward-thinking rail plan, Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV). Designed to address the state’s ever-growing traffic problem, TRV is changing the future of rail transportation in Virginia by acquiring railroad right-of-way, increasing rail capacity, and reworking passenger and freight operations to improve reliability and increase rail service. The long-term goal is to separate freight and passenger rail to improve the service of both while developing an attractive solution for citizens eager for an alternative to driving on consistently congested highways and interstates.
- Launch of New Roundtrips to Roanoke and Norfolk: In July 2022, VPRA launched two new roundtrips, a second daily roundtrip between Roanoke and Washington, DC, and a third between Norfolk and Washington. These service launches brought the total number of state-supported roundtrips to eight daily and have contributed to Amtrak Virginia’s record ridership.
- CSX and Norfolk Southern Agreements: VPRA worked with freight partners CSXT and Norfolk Southern on innovative agreements, which allowed the Authority to purchase railroad right-of-way and gain access to existing lines for the expansion of passenger rail service. The partnership with CSXT will allow VPRA to build necessary infrastructure for expansion in Northern Virginia, while the partnership with Norfolk Southern will allow for the extension of rail service to Virginia’s New River Valley.
- Long Bridge and New River Valley Groundbreakings: Within the last year, ground has been broken on two major projects. The Long Bridge Project will create a passenger-only corridor across the Potomac River from Washington, DC into Virginia to relieve one of the largest rail traffic bottlenecks on the East Coast. The construction of a new station stop to extend VPRA’s current Roanoke service to Christiansburg will bring passenger rail back to the New River Valley for the first time since 1979 with two daily roundtrips. In addition, VPRA recently authorized the start of construction for the Franconia-Springfield Bypass Project which will significantly improve rail service through that area with a rail bridge that will allow passenger trains to cross over freight trains.
- Amtrak Virginia Record Ridership: Under VPRA’s guidance, Amtrak Virginia set a ridership record during calendar year 2024 with 1.389 million passengers traveling. In addition, December 2024 marked the highest monthly ridership for Amtrak Virginia – 136,433 — since the launch of state-supported service in 2009. These increases occurred along all four corridors with three roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, DC, two between both Roanoke and Washington, and Newport News and Washington, and one between Richmond and the nation’s capital. The service offers a one-seat ride from Virginia to Philadelphia, New York, and Boston as well as intermediate stops on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
Amtrak Virginia Ridership by Calendar Year
*In July 2020, VPRA was established. In April 2020, Richmond service was cancelled due to the Pandemic.
“Thanks to the vision of the General Assembly, the steadfast support of Governor Youngkin’s administration, and the extraordinary dedication of the VPRA team, Virginia is delivering real solutions to one of our most pressing challenges – traffic congestion,” said Tiffany Robinson, Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Chair of the VPRA Board. “VPRA has proven that bold, strategic investment in passenger rail can enhance mobility, strengthen our economy, and connect communities across the Commonwealth. I’m proud to stand alongside this team as we build a transportation legacy that will serve Virginians for generations to come.”
“The Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative is just that – transformative. Our team has the unique opportunity to create something that will improve the quality of life in our communities in a meaningful way,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “The progress we have made during our first five years is astounding. We have grown from thought-provoking legislation to a real-world solution in a very short time. We look forward to completing these projects so more Virginians can choose to travel by rail.”
As VPRA looks to its next five years, it remains committed to advancing its existing projects while designing new approaches to further increase the accessibility of rail travel for all Virginians.
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 along four corridors at 17 stations and one in the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit vapassengerrailauthority.org.
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