Rail news from VPRT

July 11, 2019 Reader Submission

Summer Travel Season Underway, Passenger Rail Ridership in Virginia Soars

~ More affordable tickets, improved on-board amenities, better ground transportation connections creating more options for travelers across the Commonwealth ~

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is pleased to announce that nearly 80,000 customers used Virginia state sponsored Amtrak Northeast Regional intercity passenger rail services throughout the month of May – a 10% increase over May, 2018 and a year-to-date increase of more than 5% over the same travel period last year. The announcement follows the Commonwealth’s April 30 introduction of its new 15% off Virginia Anytime Fare, allowing travelers a last-minute discounted option to book trips to and from all Virginia destinations, including Washington, D.C.

“Passenger rail is a critical component of Virginia’s multimodal transportation network,” said Shannon Valentine, Secretary of Transportation. “More affordable tickets, improved on-board amenities and better ground transportation connections are making travel by rail more reliable and enjoyable.”

In addition to the 15% off Virginia Anytime Fare, DRPT and Amtrak are pleased to offer several more discounts for travel throughout the year.

The Virginia Student Fare can save customers 25% on trips booked anytime to and from Virginia destinations, including Washington, D.C. This discount is valid for ages 13 – 25 with valid student ID. Share Fares allows travelers a savings of up to 35% on tickets when traveling with up to four companions. Additionally, the Saturday BOGO Sale offers customers one free adult ticket with the purchase of one adult ticket for Saturday travel on the Amtrak Northeast Regional services. Both Share Fares and the BOGO Saturday Sale require three-day advanced purchase. Other terms and conditions apply.

Passengers also needing a lift to and from any one of Virginia’s 18 Amtrak stations between now and Labor Day can do just that – with 25% savings on up to two Lyft rides when using promo code VAAMTRAK19.

“Improving first-mile and last-mile connections are a great opportunity to remove a key obstacle facing multi-modal travelers.” said Jennifer Mitchell, DRPT Director. “DRPT is committed to moving more people to all of the places they want to go.”

DRPT also recently announced a comprehensive service improvement plan to improve the on-board customer experience, including better communications, cleaner trains, Virginia-based food and beverage options, and better Wi-Fi service. Starting this summer, customers on Virginia’s state-sponsored Amtrak Northeast Regional trains will see immediate and noticeable improvement to on board Wi-Fi services. Additional Wi-Fi speed upgrades are also expected by 2020.

DRPT and Amtrak partner to provide intercity passenger rail service throughout Virginia. Customers can take advantage of same-seat service to and from 18 stations, including Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke, connecting to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and other cities in the Northeast.

For more information on the terms and conditions of all Amtrak discounts available to Virginia travelers, and to book online, please visit: http://www.amtrak.com/virginia.

New discount codes include: