People accustomed to catching a morning train to Washington, D.C., and other points north will have to make some adjustments in the next few years as Amtrak makes service changes while a key construction project is underway.
In December 2019, then-Gov. Ralph Northam announced an investment of $3.7 billion in rail infrastructure as an alternative to widening I-95. The Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative included creation of a Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to purchase right of way and make other investments.
A major key to expanding passenger rail service in the state is increasing the number of trains that can cross the Potomac River. Construction on the Long Bridge Project is underway and schedules must shift to accommodate D.C. ordinances that require most work to be performed during the daytime. Work is expected to be completed in 2030.
VPRA’s executive director said the agency knows that many will find the change difficult.
“We evaluated every possible scenario to limit the disruptions while providing our construction teams with the work window they need to safely complete the project on time and on budget,” said DJ Stadtler in a press release.
The first weekday Northeast Regional train currently departs Charlottesville’s Union Station at 8:55am, but it will now leave at 12:45pm. The Crescent will continue to be scheduled to leave at 10:59am.
“Our goal is to offer as much service as possible while working to upgrade our infrastructure, with the final result being more rail service throughout the Commonwealth,” Stadtler said.
There is no reduction in the number of Amtrak trains that stop in Charlottesville. But in order to make the construction windows work, Amtrak has temporarily eliminated two daily routes of service from D.C. to Norfolk and Richmond.
The Long Bridge Project will include seven new bridges, with one two-track span dedicated to passenger rail. This will double capacity. Currently up to 2 million Amtrak passengers cross the current bridge as well as 3 million Virginia Railway Express riders. The existing structure is more than a century old and at 98 percent capacity.
Before construction of Long Bridge is complete, the VPRA should have completed a project to extend passenger service to the New River Valley with a new station in Christiansburg, which is expected to be online in 2027.
Ridership on the Northeast Regional service between Roanoke and D.C. has grown steadily since operations began in 2009. The average monthly ridership increased from 28,705 in FY2024 to 30,752 in FY2025. In all, VPRA helps Amtrak with the cost of 16 trains in the Commonwealth.
One proponent of rail travel is glad that the Long Bridge Project is underway, but is hopeful the D.C. government can be persuaded to drop its restrictions on construction from 7pm. to 7am
“It’s unfortunate that the D.C. government is forcing work into this narrow midday work window, dragging out the project timeline and causing five years of disrupted train schedules,” said Rory Stolzenberg, a member of the city’s Planning Commission.
Stolzenberg points out that Metrorail already has an exemption from the noise ordinance for its own construction work.
