A joint effort between the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Amtrak saw new record ridership figures on state-subsidized trains in August.
The combined total of 119,280 passengers traveling on rail lines in August represented an 8.2 percent increase from July.
“The continued growth of our state-supported Amtrak service shows that rail is not only a viable part of Virginia’s transportation network, it’s a necessary part,” said DJ Stadtler, executive vice president of the Virginia Passenger Authority. which was established by the State Government in 2020 to promote and support passenger and commuter rail service in the Commonwealth.
Four lines provide service from various parts of the state to Washington Union Station, where travelers can connect to the full Amtrak network. The four routes – with southern termini in Roanoke, Newport News, Norfolk and Richmond – have a number of intermediate stops along the way.
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Comparing ridership totals from August 2022 to the pre-pandemic month of August 2019, ridership increased 44 percent on Route 46 (Roanoke), 35 percent on Route 50 (Norfolk) and 22 percent on Route 51 (Richmond), with a 1.4 percent decrease on Route 47 (Newport News).
