Fredericksburg Line

Last updated

Fredericksburg Line
VRE train at Spotsylvania Station on January 2025.jpg
VRE train at Spotsylvania station on January 2025
Overview
Owner CSX Transportation
Locale Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Stafford County, and Fredericksburg, Virginia
Termini
Stations13 (1 planned)
Service
Type Commuter rail
System Virginia Railway Express
Train number(s)300–315
Operator(s) Virginia Railway Express
Daily ridership7,759 (April 2025)
History
OpenedJuly 20, 1992
Technical
Line length54 miles
Character2 track main line
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Operating speed79 mph (127km/h) (top)
33.1mph (52.9km/h) (average)
Route map
Fredericksburg Line Fredericksburg Line highlighted in red
BSicon CONTg orange.svg
BSicon KINTa red.svg
BSicon KSTRe orange.svg
Union Station BSicon TRAM1.svg WMATA Metro Logo small.svg MARC train.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon TUNNEL1 red.svg
BSicon INT red.svg
L'Enfant WMATA Metro Logo small.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae red.svg
BSicon bGRZq.svg
BSicon HST red.svg
Crystal City
BSicon INT red.svg
Alexandria BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon dCONTgq denim.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon STRr denim.svg
BSicon INT red.svg
Franconia–Springfield WMATA Metro Logo small.svg
BSicon HST red.svg
Lorton
BSicon hbKRZWae red.svg
BSicon INT red.svg
Woodbridge BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon HST red.svg
Rippon
BSicon eHST red.svg
Potomac Shores
(under construction)
BSicon INT red.svg
Quantico BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon HST red.svg
Brooke
BSicon HST red.svg
Leeland Road
BSicon hbKRZWae red.svg
BSicon INT red.svg
Fredericksburg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon KHSTe red.svg
BSicon KSTRa cerulean.svg
Spotsylvania
BSicon CONTf cerulean.svg

Wheelchair symbol.svg All stations are accessible

The Fredericksburg Line is a commuter rail service operated by Virginia Railway Express between Washington, D.C., and Olive, Virginia. Virginia Railway Express operates 8 weekday trains, [1] and Amtrak trains serve a few of the stations on the line. Trackage is owned by CSX as part of their RF&P Subdivision.

Contents

The line's trains get around 7,759 boardings per weekday in April 2025. [2]

History

RF&P

What is today the Fredericksburg Line was originally part of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad (or RF&P), a connector railroad between the Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads in Washington, D.C., and the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line Railroads in Richmond. In 1991 CSX absorbed the RF&P and the line is now their RF&P Subdivision.

Virginia Railway Express

In 1992 Virginia Railway Express (or VRE) was formed to serve the former RF&P between Washington's Union Station and Fredericksburg, Virginia as well as stations between Washington and Manassas, Virginia on Norfolk Southern's Piedmont Division. In 2015, the route was extended to Spotsylvania.

Amtrak

Along with VRE, many Amtrak trains also utilize this line. Their Northeast Regional trains stop at six of the 12 stations on the line and Alexandria is a major stop for six of their long distance trains.

Expansion

Work was completed on a third track between Alexandria and Franconia-Springfield in 2010. This track enables VRE and Amtrak trains to bypass slow freight trains over Franconia Hill. VRE would also like to add another third track between Powells Creek in Prince William County and Arkendale Road in Stafford County in the near future. [3]

Stations list

StateTown/CityStationConnections
District of
Columbia
Washington Union Station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Acela , Cardinal , Carolinian , Crescent , Floridian , Northeast Regional , Palmetto , Silver Meteor , Vermonter , Thruway Bus to Charlottesville, Virginia
MARC train.svg MARC:   Brunswick Line,   Camden Line,   Penn Line
Virginia Railway Express.svg VRE:   Manassas Line
WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Metrorail: WMATA Red.svg
BSicon TRAM1.svg DC Streetcar: H Street/Benning Road Line
Bus-logo.svg Metrobus, Loudoun County Transit, OmniRide, MTA Commuter Bus
L'Enfant Virginia Railway Express.svg VRE:   Manassas Line
WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Metrorail: WMATA Green.svg WMATA Yellow.svg WMATA Blue.svg WMATA Orange.svg WMATA Silver.svg
Bus-logo.svg Metrobus, Loudoun County Transit. OmniRide, MTA Commuter Bus
Virginia Arlington Crystal City Virginia Railway Express.svg VRE:   Manassas Line
WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Metrorail: WMATA Yellow.svg WMATA Blue.svg
BSicon BUS3.svg Metroway
Bus-logo.svg Metrobus, Arlington Transit, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, OmniRide
Alexandria Alexandria BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Cardinal , Carolinian , Crescent , Floridian , Northeast Regional , Palmetto , Silver Meteor
Virginia Railway Express.svg VRE:   Manassas Line
WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Metrorail: WMATA Yellow.svg WMATA Blue.svg
Bus-logo.svg Metrobus, DASH Bus
Springfield Franconia–Springfield WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Metrorail: WMATA Blue.svg
Bus-logo.svg Metrobus, Fairfax Connector, OmniRide
Lorton Lorton Bus-logo.svg Fairfax Connector
Woodbridge Woodbridge BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Northeast Regional
Bus-logo.svg OmniRide, OmniLink
Rippon
Dumfries Potomac Shores
Quantico Quantico BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Carolinian , Northeast Regional
Bus-logo.svg OmniRide, Fredericksburg Regional Transit
Stafford Brooke
Falmouth Leeland Road
Fredericksburg Fredericksburg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Carolinian , Northeast Regional , Silver Meteor
Bus-logo.svg Fredericksburg Regional Transit
Spotsylvania Spotsylvania

See also

References

  1. "VRE schedule". Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  2. "Train Utilization | Virginia Railway Express". April 7, 2025. Archived from the original on April 7, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  3. "VRE's Fredericksburg Line is getting more triple track".
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