By Wyatt Gordon, Virginia Correspondent, Greater Greater Washington; September 10, 2019
This month marks a decade since Virginia debuted its first state-sponsored Amtrak routes: two lines from Lynchburg and Richmond that both terminate in DC. Such milestones are important, but the Commonwealth has other figures to celebrate—like the fact that its rail ridership has grown more than 7% within the last year.
That’s partly because there are more opportunities to ride. Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) expanded rail service to Hampton Roads by adding two more trains between Richmond and Norfolk, as well as one that travels to Newport News. The state is already planning a third Norfolk-bound train for 2021.