The Virginia Railway Express connects Central and Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia. (Courtesy of Virginia Railway Express)
Starting in January 2026, Virginia Railway Express will adjust its rail service due to the Long Bridge Project, with some trains operating from Alexandria instead of Union Station. The company is also welcoming the return of the Amtrak Step-Up Program, offering additional travel options.
The Long Bridge Project, once completed by 2030, will enable more freight and passenger rail service by separating the lines between Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The current two-track system, widely regarded as a bottleneck, has negatively impacted travel times.
The estimated cost of the entire Long Bridge Project is $2.3 billion.
Long Bridge view from the Potomac River. (izanbar/Getty Images)
“The Long Bridge Project is one of the largest railroad construction projects undertaken in the commonwealth in years,” the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said in a statement to the Mercury. “This new two-track railroad bridge is currently under construction and will increase rail capacity across the Potomac River. Its completion will mean generational changes in passenger rail for Virginians.”
Beginning in January, the four VRE trains to terminate at Alexandria will be the last four morning trains, two on the Manassas line and two on the Fredericksburg line. Travelers can also transfer to using Metro’s rail service in Alexandria.
No VRE trains will be eliminated, according to the commuter rail service, adding that planners may refine service adjustments over the 2026-2030 project period.
Amtrak Virginia will also implement temporary service changes, expanding its list of combined roundtrips on train and bus in Virginia from five to six. The list of daily round-trip trains includes four trains to Norfolk and Newport News, and two daily express buses to and from Hampton Roads, providing Newport News with an additional connection to Washington, D.C.
Travelers should expect slight changes in departure and arrival times.
VPRA is working to create a new service plan that accommodates current Amtrak Virginia passenger rail service and construction plans for the new Long Bridge “while remaining on time and on budget,” the authority said.
During the construction planning process, Amtrak Virginia is also reinstating its Amtrak Step-Up Program, providing VRE multi-ride ticketholders with more options to travel in and out of Union Station as early as next month. The commuter rail service suspended the program in 2020 due to how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted ridership.
The Step-Up program will allow VRE 10-trip or monthly ticket holders to select an additional $4 “step-up” ticket through the VRE Mobile app. Riders can then hop on an Amtrak train traveling in the VRE service area instead of on a VRE train, at any time, seven days a week. Within the VRE Mobile app, riders can view the upcoming Amtrak trains and the number of available seats.
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