Virginia Railway Express
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) (reporting mark VREX) is a commuter rail service that connects outlying small cities of Northern Virginia to Union Station in Washington, D.C. It operates two lines which run during weekday rush hour only: the Fredericksburg Line from Spotsylvania, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run station in Bristow, Virginia. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 1,172,700, or about 6,200 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.
| Virginia Railway Express | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VRE train at Manassas station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | NVTC and PRTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Northern Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transit type | Commuter rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of lines | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of stations | 19 year-round, 1 seasonal, 1 planned | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 6,200 (weekdays, Q3 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual ridership | 1,172,700 (2022) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | vre.org | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began operation | June 22, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Keolis (under contract) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reporting marks | VREX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System length | 90 mi (145 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Service to Manassas began on June 22, 1992; the Fredericksburg service started on July 20, 1992.
VRE is owned by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). The NVTC and PRTC are governmental entities that were created by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Local governments (such as counties and cities) within each commission's geographic area are members of each commission. The service will undergo expansion as the result of a December 19, 2019 deal brokered between former Virginia governor Ralph Northam and rail company CSX Transportation.