After a Decade of Delays, Potomac Shores VRE Station Nears Construction Start

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – After more than a decade of promises, delays, and renewed commitments, the long-awaited Potomac Shores Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station is finally inching toward full construction, with key infrastructure nearly complete and developers eyeing a construction start by the end of 2025.

At a June 5 meeting of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), officials confirmed that the parking garage and station access infrastructure—critical components of the overall project—are “just about to get wrapped up.” Construction of the station itself, which will be led by private developers with VRE now included in “intimate discussions,” could begin as early as late 2025, pending final documentation and approvals from CSX.

A Long Road to the Tracks

The Potomac Shores VRE station was first announced with great fanfare in 2014, when then-Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) broke ground on the project as part of a public-private partnership. At the time, the $14 million passenger depot was to be built by SunCal, the developer behind the Potomac Shores community, with Virginia taxpayers funding necessary track upgrades. Officials hoped the station would become a transportation anchor for new housing and commercial growth along the Potomac River.

“We are building the transportation infrastructure of the future,” McAuliffe said at the time.

However, by 2018, delays had taken hold. We reported that the station had been delayed for nearly four years due to shifting development priorities and complexities involving multiple jurisdictions and agencies. Developers told Potomac Local they were “ready to move forward” after extensive planning, and VRE reiterated its commitment to the site.

Another milestone came in 2023, when Prince William County Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey announced a new agreement between the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Biddle Real Estate Ventures to jumpstart the stalled project. Bailey touted the station as a key element of economic growth and transit-oriented development in eastern Prince William County.

In November 2024, officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the station house, a signature building that will feature two levels of retail space and a grand arch leading to a riverfront boardwalk. A $24 million, 350-space parking garage was also completed—marking a visible step forward for residents long skeptical of the project’s progress.

Construction and Coordination

At the recent PRTC meeting, officials said environmental remediation work has been completed, and permits are in place. The biggest remaining obstacle is securing final paperwork with CSX, the freight rail company that owns the tracks.

VRE’s involvement has increased as the project moves toward construction, though officials clarified the agency is not building the station itself. That responsibility remains with private developers, but VRE is expected to operate passenger rail service from the site once complete.

Once completed, the Potomac Shores station will serve riders on VRE’s Fredericksburg Line and connect the growing Potomac Shores community with destinations to the north and south. The station’s unique design includes elevated walkways, stairs, and an elevator to move passengers from a bluff down to the tracks.

The station will also feature a riverfront boardwalk and access to the Potomac Shores Trail System, making it one of the most architecturally distinctive stations in the VRE system.

If station construction begins in late 2025, the Potomac Shores VRE Station could be operational by mid-to-late 2027. Local officials and transportation planners see it as a transformative piece of infrastructure—one that could finally deliver on a decade of anticipation and tie together the area’s goals for smart growth, reduced traffic congestion, and increased transit access.

Related Coverage from Potomac Local News:

• 📸 Potomac Shores VRE Station House Breaks Ground (2024)
• 🔁 New Promise to Build VRE Station After Near Decade of Delay (2023)
• ⏳ After a Nearly 4-Year Delay, Potomac Shores Will Get Its VRE Station (2018)
• 🚆 McAuliffe Breaks Ground on Potomac Shores VRE Station (2014)
• 🏞️ Potomac Shores VRE Station to Be Unlike Any in System (2014)