Fredericksburg Line

Fredericksburg Line
Fredericksburg Line
	VRE train outside of Fredericksburg.
Overview
Owner	CSX Transportation
Locale	Washington, D.C., Alexandria, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Stafford County, and Fredericksburg, Virginia
Termini	Union Station (Washington, D.C.); Fredericksburg, VA;
Stations	13 (1 planned)
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Virginia Railway Express
Train number(s)	300–315
Operator(s)	Virginia Railway Express
History
Opened	July 20, 1992
Technical
Line length	54 miles
Character	2 track main line
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	79 mph (127km/h) (top) ; 33.1mph (52.9km/h) (average)
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	MARC
	Amtrak
	Long Bridge over
	Potomac River
	Washington, D.C.
	Virginia
	Manassas Line to Broad Run
	Amtrak
	Potomac Shores
	(under construction)
	All stations are accessible
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Fredericksburg Line is a commuter rail service operated by Virginia Railway Express between Washington, D.C., and Olive, Virginia. Virginia Railway Express operates 8 weekday trains,^[1] and Amtrak trains serve a few of the stations on the line. Trackage is owned by CSX as part of their RF&P Subdivision.

History

RF&P

What is today the Fredericksburg Line was originally part of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad (or RF&P), a connector railroad between the Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads in Washington, D.C., and the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line Railroads in Richmond. In 1991 CSX absorbed the RF&P and the line is now their RF&P Subdivision.

Virginia Railway Express

In 1992 Virginia Railway Express (or VRE) was formed to serve the former RF&P between Washington's Union Station and Fredericksburg, Virginia as well as stations between Washington and Manassas, Virginia on Norfolk Southern's Piedmont Division. In 2015, the route was extended to Spotsylvania.

Amtrak

Along with VRE, many Amtrak trains also utilize this line. Their Northeast Regional trains stop at six of the 12 stations on the line and Alexandria is a major stop for six of their long distance trains.

Expansion

Work was completed on a third track between Alexandria and Franconia-Springfield in 2010. This track enables VRE and Amtrak trains to bypass slow freight trains over Franconia Hill. VRE would also like to add another third track between Powells Creek in Prince William County and Arkendale Road in Stafford County in the near future.^[2]

Stations list

State	Town/City	Station	Connections
District of Columbia	Washington	Union Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Vermonter, Amtrak Thruway to Charlottesville, Virginia MARC: Brunswick Line, Camden Line, Penn Line VRE: Manassas Line Metrorail: DC Streetcar: H Street/Benning Road Line Bus: Metrobus, Loudoun County Commuter Bus, OmniRide, MTA Commuter Bus
District of Columbia	Washington	L'Enfant	VRE: Manassas Line Metrorail: Bus: Metrobus, Loudoun County Commuter Bus. OmniRide Commuter, MTA Commuter Bus
Virginia	Arlington	Crystal City	VRE: Manassas Line Metrorail: Metroway Bus: Metrobus, Arlington Transit, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Commuter Bus, OmniRide Commuter
	Alexandria	Alexandria	Amtrak: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor VRE: Manassas Line Metrorail: Bus: Metrobus, DASH Bus
	Springfield	Franconia-Springfield	Metrorail: Bus: Metrobus, Fairfax Connector, OmniRide Commuter
	Lorton	Lorton	Bus: Fairfax Connector
	Woodbridge	Woodbridge	Amtrak: Northeast Regional Bus: OmniRide, OmniLink
	Woodbridge	Rippon
	Dumfries	Potomac Shores
	Quantico	Quantico	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional Bus: OmniRide Bus: Fredericksburg Regional Transit
	Stafford	Brooke
	Falmouth	Leeland Road
	Fredericksburg	Fredericksburg	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor Bus: Fredericksburg Regional Transit
	Spotsylvania	Spotsylvania