A press release from Amtrak; December 11, 2017:
Ridership increasing for route and station
WASHINGTON – Amtrak celebrates five years of bringing passenger rail service to the waterfront city of Norfolk, Va. The Amtrak Northeast Regional connects the Hampton Roads area to the national rail network of more than 500 destinations.
Norfolk was the highest-performing city pair in the Virginia state-supported system for Fiscal Year 2017. The route, Washington, D.C., to Norfolk, served a total of 155,389 customers, with ridership for the Norfolk station at 47,493.
“The success of the Norfolk service testifies to the progressive vision the Commonwealth has brought to bringing real alternatives for residents to travel,” said Joe McHugh, Amtrak Vice President of State-Supported Services Business Development. “Increasing ridership for all the routes in Virginia speaks to how many people recognize trains as the smarter way to travel.”
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) supports six Northeast Regional trains that serve Norfolk, Richmond, Newport News, Lynchburg and Roanoke and provide a same-seat trip to other cities along the Northeast Corridor. The Norfolk station is also a stop for the Thruway bus connection for service to the Amtrak station in Newport News, Va.
“It is our mission to provide transportation options, and the success of the Norfolk line proves the Commonwealth’s commitment to its citizens,” DRPT Director Jennifer Mitchell said. “We are incredibly proud to celebrate the service’s fifth anniversary, and we look forward to continuing our work expanding passenger rail in Virginia, including two new trains serving Norfolk in the next four years.”
Amtrak, DRPT, and the city of Norfolk partnered to bring intercity passenger rail back to the city for the first time since 1977.
“Norfolk has worked hard to establish itself as the most multimodal city in the region, and is grateful that Amtrak believed that resuming passenger rail service was an opportunity and not a challenge,” Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander said. “The celebration of this milestone is further proof that Norfolk is committed to providing dynamic transportation options for all of South Hampton Roads.”
About Amtrak®
Amtrak offers a more comfortable and convenient travel experience with free Wi-Fi on most trains, plenty of leg room and no middle seat. With our state and commuter partners, we move people, the economy and the nation forward, carrying more than 30 million Amtrak customers for each of the past seven years. Amtrak operates more than 300 trains daily, connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces, and reaches 400 additional destinations via connecting bus routes. Learn more at Amtrak.com.
About DRPT
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s mission is to improve the mobility of people and goods while expanding transportation choices in the Commonwealth through rail, public transportation and commuter services. DRPT provides nearly $700 million in funding that is allocated to over 40 transit services, as well as Amtrak, Class 1, and short-line railroads. The agency works with local, regional, state and federal governments, as well as private entities, to provide the necessary support for maintaining the stability and growth of transit and rail in Virginia. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.