Are you a new rider to Virginia Railway Express?
The information below is designed to assist you in planning your trip.
Step 1: Pick Your Station
First, check out our System Map and select the stations you wish to travel to and from. Click the station name for information on station addresses and parking information.
Boarding with a Bike? Click here: Bikes Aboard VRE
Step 2: Select Your Travel Times
We mostly operate northbound into DC in the morning and southbound in the afternoon and evening. Specific departure times can be found by visiting the Schedule Page.
Be aware that the time on the schedule is time the train will depart the station, and be sure to be on the platform ready to board with ticket validated prior to the train's departure time. We suggest that you be on the platform at least 5 minutes before the train arrives.
Just traveling between Alexandria and Union Station? Take Any VRE train! - Inner Station Schedule
Paper tickets can be purchased from one of our Ticket Vending Machines, using a debit or credit card, located on our station platforms. You can also purchase tickets on your phone using our mobile ticketing app. Click here for Ticket types and Fare information.
For Mobile ticket purchase: For paper ticket purchase:
If you receive SMARTBENEFITS through your agency, follow the step-by-step benefits allocation process here: Allocating and Linking SmartBenefits to VRE Mobile.
A Few Things That You Should Keep in Mind
- Tickets are NOT sold on the trains.
- VRE stations do not have station attendants.
- Delays do happen. To find out if your train is delayed, sign up for our email and text alert service, Train Talk. To track your train in real-time visit "Train Status" on our website.
Additional Information
Service Information
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Are you a new rider to Virginia Railway Express?
The information below is designed to assist you in planning your trip.
Step 1: Pick Your Station
First, check out our System Map and select the stations you wish to travel to and from. Click the station name for information on station addresses and parking information.
Boarding with a Bike? Click here: Bikes Aboard VRE
Step 2: Select Your Travel Times
We mostly operate northbound into DC in the morning and southbound in the afternoon and evening. Specific departure times can be found by visiting the Schedule Page.
Be aware that the time on the schedule is time the train will depart the station, and be sure to be on the platform ready to board with ticket validated prior to the train's departure time. We suggest that you be on the platform at least 5 minutes before the train arrives.
Just traveling between Alexandria and Union Station? Take Any VRE train! - Inner Station Schedule
Paper tickets can be purchased from one of our Ticket Vending Machines, using a debit or credit card, located on our station platforms. You can also purchase tickets on your phone using our mobile ticketing app. Click here for Ticket types and Fare information.
For Mobile ticket purchase: For paper ticket purchase:
If you receive SMARTBENEFITS through your agency, follow the step-by-step benefits allocation process here: Allocating and Linking SmartBenefits to VRE Mobile.
A Few Things That You Should Keep in Mind
- Tickets are NOT sold on the trains.
- VRE stations do not have station attendants.
- Delays do happen. To find out if your train is delayed, sign up for our email and text alert service, Train Talk. To track your train in real-time visit "Train Status" on our website.
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Accessibility
VRE is equipped with wheelchair lifts, accessible parking, access ramps, audio/visual public address system, talking ticket vending machines, Braille signage, large-formatted schedules for both the Manassas and Fredericksburg lines.
Wheelchair Access
All VRE stations are wheelchair accessible with ramps that lead to the platforms and motorized lifts on each train. Passengers needing to use the lift should move to the North (Washington) end of the platform to board. In addition, special seats are prioritized for passengers with disabilities.
Elevator Access
All VRE stations are completely accessible. The following stations do have elevators to access to the platforms:
- Franconia-Springfield
- Rippon
- Fredericksburg
- Woodbridge
- Union Station
*Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is committed to ensuring both a reliable and accessible experience for all of our customers. In doing so, VRE will make (in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Federal Transit Administration requirements) every effort to provide reasonable accommodations and/or modifications to our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure program accessibility for all. If you experience any issue with access to our service, please submit a request for reasonable accommodation/modification to [email protected], or by calling our office at 703-684-1001.
While we will do our best to accommodate all requests, VRE cannot alter the fundamental nature of our services, or create a situation that interferes with the health and safety of others.
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SmartBenefits® is the region's most common form of transit benefit. It is a program managed and operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA better known as the operator of Metrorail and Metrobus. SmartBenefits® can be used towards a variety of transit fares, but is most easily used within the Metrorail system. SmartBenefits® can be downloaded directly onto a SmarTrip card to be used on Metrorail or select bus systems. SmartBenefits® can also exist as a virtual account which allows you to use the funds on systems that do not accept SmarTrip cards, like VRE. Learn how to allocate your SmartBenfits® to VRE Mobile.
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Below is a current list of the equipment owned by the Virginia Railway Express.
LOCOMOTIVES
Quantity
|
Locomotive Type
|
Locomotive Number
|
20 |
MP-36
|
V50 - V69
|
Coaches
Quantity |
Car Type |
Seats |
Car Numbers |
|
|
|
|
21 |
Gallery IV Cab Cars |
123 |
V710 - V730 |
49 |
Gallery IV Trailers with restroom |
130 |
V800 - V848 |
30 |
Gallery IV Trailers no restroom |
140 |
V850 - V879 |
VRE currently has 100 cars in service. Our coaches consist exclusively of Gallery-style cars.
The chart below indicates how many cars are usually on each train. As the make-up of a train can vary, and since each type of car has a different number of seats, the number is estimated for a typical train of the listed length.
Since ridership is higher midweek, check out the Related Links on this page for "Train Utilization Trends" to see which trains have more seat availability on the busiest days.
Fredericksburg Line
AM Train Cars Seats
300 8 1,040
302 8 1,040
304 5 650
306 7 910
308 6 780
310 6 780
312 6 780
314 4 520
PM Train Cars Seats
301 4 520
303 7 910
305 8 1,040
307 7 910
309 8 1,040
311 6 780
313 6 780
315 5 650
Manassas Line
AM Train Cars Seats
322 6 780
324 6 780
326 8 1,040
328 8 1,040
330 8 1,040
332 6 780
321 6 780
PM Train Cars Seats
325 8 1,040
327 8 1,040
329 8 1,040
331 8 1,040
333 6 780
335 6 780
337 8 1,040
336 8 1,040
338 8 1,040