Ticket Information

VRE Offers Seven Types of Tickets

VRE-TLC (Transit Link Card)

Joint-use fare card allows unlimited travel on VRE and Metrorail for one calendar month. TLCs can be purchased at most of VRE’s off-site vendors, but unlike all other regular-fare VRE tickets, they are not available from ticket vending machines.
34% discount off single ride fare plus Metro Ride Monthly Cost
Valid for one calendar month
Non-transferable
Refundable 100% prior to start of month, partially refundable after month begins; Metro portion non-refundable
If lost VRE will replace VRE part of ticket up to two times each year
Accepted on select Amtrak trains
Grace period for VRE through the first service day on the following month

Monthly Ticket

34% Savings. Good for unlimited travel between fare zones indicated on the ticket during a calendar month.
34% discount off single ride fare
Valid for one calendar month
Non-transferable
Refundable 100% prior to start of month, partially refundable after month begins; not refundable after 13th of the month
If lost VRE will replace ticket up to two times each year – see policy for details
Accepted on select Amtrak trains
Grace period for VRE ticket through the first service day of the following month
Available for purchase through the 9th of the current month (For example: July Monthly tickets are available for purchase from June 10 through July 9)

Five-Day Pass

20% Savings. Good for unlimited travel for five consecutive VRE service days from activation within the zones indicated.
20% discount off single ride fare
Must be activated by validating at a Ticket Vending Machine once, prior to first boarding

Valid for five consecutive business days (will jump over holidays)
Transferable; non-refundable
Multiple tickets can be purchased at once, but are only valid after activation by a TVM
Accepted on select Amtrak trains
If not activated, expires one year from purchase
Can be purchased at the platform ticket machines and all VRE vendors

Ten-Ride Ticket

8% Savings. Good for ten one-way trips between the fare zones indicated on the ticket.
8% discount off single ride fare
Valid for ten-rides
Transferable; non-refundable; multiple persons may use one ticket as long as there is a validation for each person
Must be validated at Ticket Vending Machines no more than one hour prior to each ride
Accepted on select Amtrak trains
Expires one year from purchase

Amtrak Step-Up Ticket

Must be used in conjunction with multi-ride VRE tickets for one-way travel on our Amtrak Cross-Honor Service trains. Step-Up Tickets are available for $5.00 at platform TVMs and in bulk from all VRE vendors.
NO validation required.
Collected by Amtrak conductor when VRE ticket is checked for validation.
Expires one year from purchase.
Transferable; non refundable; only one rider per ticket.
VRE multi-ride ticket must cover the zones that you are travelling between.
Questions about using a Step Up ticket or the Price Increase? Check out our Step-Up FAQ page.

Single-Ride

Good for one-way travel between the fares zones indicated on the ticket.
Expires one year from purchase
Transferable, but non refundable
Can be purchased at the platform ticket machines and all VRE vendors
Must be validated at Ticket Vending Machines no more than one hour prior to each ride
NOT accepted on Amtrak trains

Two-Ride

Good for two rides between the fares zones indicated on the ticket. Ticket has a maximum of two single rides per pass.
Expires one year from purchase
Transferable, but non refundable
Can be purchased at the platform ticket machines and all VRE vendors
Must be validated at Ticket Vending Machines no more than one hour prior to each ride
NOT accepted on Amtrak trains

Discounted Tickets
VRE offers discounted tickets for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and youths (ages 11 to 18).
50% Savings off the cost of a single-ride ticket
May only be purchased through certain vendors

Children's Fares
Children ten and under may ride for free when traveling with a fare paying adult.

There Are Five Ways to Obtain VRE Tickets

Order Tickets From CommuterDirect.com On-Line!
Fill out CommuterDirect.com's On-line Order Form and have your tickets mailed to your home or business on either an ongoing biweekly or monthly basis. Credit Card information is safe because the Commuter Page uses a secure third-party vendor to encrypt the information before it is passed on for processing by CommuterDirect.com in Arlington. Give it a try!!!

Station Vending Machines
Use Your Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or STAR bank card at the ticket vending machines at all stations. Please Note: The ticket vending machines at the stations do not accept cash.

Sales Outlets
Selected sales outlets sell tickets near stations. Some locations also accept credit cards, debit cards and checks. For information on sales outlets in your area, visit our vendor locations page or call 703-684-1001.

By Fax
Charge your order by fax. Fax a Commuter Direct order form to 703-524-4959. If you choose, your tickets can be mailed to you automatically each month. Please allow 3-5 days for delivery of your ticket by mail.

From Your Employer
Many firms and agencies can help you obtain your train tickets at big savings. If they are not familiar with SmartBenefits, encourage your benefits coordinator or human resources director to call 202-962-1326 to find out more about this transit voucher program which can save both the employer and the employee MONEY!

Validate Your Ticket Before Boarding

Please remember to validate your Ten-Trip or Single-Ride tickets at the TVM every time before boarding trains. Tickets are not sold on board VRE trains. Virginia law (section 18.2-160.1) requires passengers to purchase and validate tickets before boarding VRE trains. Before each boarding, Single-Ride and Ten-Trip tickets must be validated at the ticket vending machines in station entrance areas. Monthly passes must be signed to be valid. Any passenger that is unable to validate their ticket by use of the validation machine must speak with the conductor prior to boarding the train. Passengers observed onboard without a valid ticket are subject to a fine of not less than $100.

Ticket Refunds

IMPORTANT: Tickets purchased with Transit Benefits are NOT eligible for refunds.

Monthly Tickets are refundable with proof of purchase and under the following conditions:

• If you request a refund before the effective month begins, we will refund your purchase 100%

• If your request is made during service days 1-13 of the effective month, you will receive the Monthly Ticket purchase price minus two Single-ride full fares applicable to the origin and destination zone pairing for each service day operated prior to the post mark on the returned ticket.

• No refunds for Monthly Tickets past the 13th service day will be granted.
  

TLC Tickets are refunded at 100% prior to the first of the month. After the 1st, NO CREDIT can be given for the Metrorail portion of the fare.

Ten-Trip, Five-Day, Round-Trip, Step-Up and Single-Ride Tickets are non refundable. However, in some cases, we can make exchanges. Please include the Ticket Exchange Form along with your exchange request.

Monthly and TLC tickets may be refundable. Please include the Refund Request Form along with your refund request.