VRE Cuts Ribbon on Improvements to Fredericksburg Station

Representatives of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and a host of dignitaries gathered at the Fredericksburg rail station recently to celebrate recent improvements that enhance the passenger experience, increase safety for VRE riders and pedestrians, and restore the iconic image of the station and surrounding infrastructure.

“At VRE, we take great pride in our stations, particularly those, like the one in Fredericksburg, that hearken back to another place in time,” said CEO Rich Dalton.

The $14.4 million project included rehabilitating the existing platforms, stairs, and all four rail bridges; constructing new stairs to provide direct access from the platform to a parking lot; improving ADA access to the west side elevator; adding signage, sidewalks, and lighting; and refreshing the platform canopies and other areas with new paint.

The improvements have succeeded in restoring the Fredericksburg rail station and surrounding structures to a state that closely mirrors their appearance nearly a century earlier. They also will help maintain the structural integrity of the station and bridges in the decades to come.

“The benefits of these improvements go beyond the station itself,” said Matthew Kelly, former member of the VRE Operations Board and current member of the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Board. “They help relieve traffic congestion and provide economic development and tourism opportunities while preserving the historic character of the city, which is critical to its future.”

“The upgrades at the Fredericksburg station, in particular the extended platforms, will significantly enhance the passenger experience at the station,” said DJ Stadtler, executive director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA). “This kind of infrastructure improvement complements the work VPRA is doing to improve passenger rail service along the corridor between Fredericksburg and Washington, DC. We look forward to partnering with VRE on future projects as we expand service through Fredericksburg and the commonwealth.”

The Fredericksburg Station Improvements Project is part of the commonwealth’s $4 billion Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative and among the first to be completed since the program was announced in 2019.

“Transforming Rail in Virginia is a multifaceted project. We can add new stations, lay more track, and put more trains on those tracks to connect those stations,” said Jennifer DeBruhl, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. “However, we need to make sure that in creating additional options and alternatives, we implement them with all Virginians in mind. VRE, here at the Fredericksburg station, has taken a massive leap forward toward doing just that.”