ALEXANDRIA — As six Metrorail stations south of National Airport are now shut down this summer, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will be a convenient alternative for many commuters.
VRE offers service at two stations, Franconia-Springfield and Alexandria, that are a short walk from the closed Franconia-Springfield and King St-Old Town Metrorail stations. VRE trains run northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening with stops at Crystal City in Virginia, and L’Enfant and Union Station in Washington, D.C.
VRE trains arrive at Union Station each weekday between 6:24 a.m. and 9:17 a.m. and depart Union Station between 12:55 p.m. and 7:05 p.m.
All trains stop at the Alexandria station, but only trains on the Fredericksburg Line stop at Franconia-Springfield, where parking at the Metro garage will be free during the station closure. Passengers can see which trains have the most available seating by visiting VRE’s train utilization trends page.
Determining fares and purchasing a ticket can be done through VRE Mobile. The app allows riders to select from several fare products, some of which offer discounts. VRE Mobile accepts credit cards and SmartBenefits. Tickets also may be purchased through fare vending machines on VRE station platforms. VRE’s fare payment system does not support Metro’s SmarTrip card.
To free up capacity on trains for new riders, the cost of a single-ride Amtrak Step-Up ticket has been temporarily lowered from $8 to $4. The Step-Up ticket gives passengers with multi-ride VRE passes (Monthly, 5-Day, 10-Ride, and Transit Link Card) the option to use any of 12 Amtrak trains listed on the current VRE schedule.
Free shuttles in Prince William County will carry riders to VRE’s Rippon and Woodbridge stations during the Metrorail shutdown. The OmniRide shuttles will begin operating on Tuesday, May 28 and continue until Metro reopens the six Blue and Yellow line stations in September. The Dale City shuttle will connect the commuter lot at Minnieville Road and Gemini Way with the Rippon station, while the Lake Ridge shuttle will connect the commuter lot at Old Bridge and Minnieville roads with the Woodbridge station.
