Fredericksburg Line

Fredericksburg Line
VRE train at Spotsylvania station in January 2025
Overview
Owner	CSX Transportation
Locale	Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Stafford County, and Fredericksburg, Virginia
Termini	Union Station (Washington, D.C.) Fredericksburg, VA
Stations	13 (1 planned)
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Virginia Railway Express
Train number	300–315
Operator	Virginia Railway Express
Daily ridership	7,759 (April 2025)
History
Opened	July 20, 1992
Technical
Line length	54 miles
Character	2 track main line
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	79 mph (127km/h) (top) 33.1mph (52.9km/h) (average)
Route map Fredericksburg Line highlighted in red MARC Amtrak Union Station First Street Tunnel L'Enfant Potomac River Washington, D.C. Virginia Crystal City Alexandria Manassas Line to Broad Run Amtrak Franconia–Springfield Lorton Occoquan River Woodbridge Rippon Potomac Shores (under construction) Quantico Brooke Leeland Road Rappahannock River Fredericksburg Spotsylvania Amtrak 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, and Amtrak trains serve a few of the stations on the line. Trackage is owned by CSX as part of their RF&P Subdivision.

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

History

RF&P

Main article: Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad

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

Main article: 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.

Stations list

State	Town/City	Station	Connections
District of Columbia	Washington	Union Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Vermonter, Thruway Bus to Charlottesville, Virginia MARC: ■ Brunswick Line, ■ Camden Line, ■ Penn Line VRE: ■ Manassas Line Metrorail: Metrobus, LC Transit, OmniRide, MTA Commuter Bus
		L'Enfant	VRE: ■ Manassas Line Metrorail: Metrobus, LC Transit, OmniRide, MTA Commuter Bus
Virginia	Arlington	Crystal City	VRE: ■ Manassas Line Metrorail: Metroway Metrobus, ART, Fairfax Connector, LC Transit, OmniRide
	Alexandria	Alexandria	Amtrak: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor VRE: ■ Manassas Line Metrorail: Metrobus, DASH Bus
	Springfield	Franconia–Springfield	Metrorail: Metrobus, Fairfax Connector, OmniRide
	Lorton	Lorton	Fairfax Connector
	Woodbridge	Woodbridge	Amtrak: Northeast Regional OmniRide, OmniLink
		Rippon	OmniRide
	Dumfries	Potomac Shores
	Quantico	Quantico	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional OmniRide, Fredericksburg Regional Transit
	Stafford	Brooke
	Falmouth	Leeland Road
	Fredericksburg	Fredericksburg	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor Fredericksburg Regional Transit
	Spotsylvania	Spotsylvania

See also

• RF&P Subdivision

References

Template:Attached KML/Fredericksburg Line

KML is not from Wikidata