Virginia Railway Express Plans Return To Full Service In June

BURKE, VA — Virginia Railway Express, a commuter rail service between the Northern Virginia suburbs and DC, will resume full service in June.

VRE will bring back pre-pandemic levels of service on the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines starting on June 1. The Fredericksburg Line will return to eight trains each in the southbound and northbound directions, compared to five each under reduced service. The Manassas Line will see trains double from four in each direction under reduced service to eight each under full service. Amtrak's Step-Up program remains suspended until further notice.

Reduced service will continue through May 28, and VRE will not operate on Memorial Day, May 31. The S schedule reduced service has been supplemented on the Fredericksburg Line by Train 300 in the northbound direction and Train 307 in the southbound direction.

The commuter rail service has been operating under reduced service during the COVID-19 pandemic. VRE recently surveyed readers on whether they would return to ride with full service, acknowledging that riders may be choosing travel alternatives due to the reduced VRE service.

Even when regular service levels return, VRE will continue train cleanings twice a day, social distancing measures, and a face mask requirement.