| (NOTE: March 2024 had five weekends while March 2023 only had four.) “As our ridership continues to set records, Virginia is fast becoming an example of how state-supported passenger rail service can be a formidable part of a state’s transportation mix,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “We recognize that many people rely on their cars, however, by offering reliable rail service that goes where travelers want to go, we can take some of those cars off the road. That’s a win-win for a state famous for its traffic.” With the school spring break season leading up to Easter, spring travel began early this year. Five weekends in the month of March also contributed to the record ridership. Currently, Amtrak Virginia offers three daily roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, DC, two daily roundtrips between both Roanoke and Washington, and Newport News and Washington, and one daily roundtrip between Richmond and the nation’s capital. Plans to expand the service are underway through VPRA’s Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative. This innovative and forward-looking plan will give Virginians an alternative to traveling along congested highways and interstates. The initiative calls for increasing passenger rail service in the Commonwealth by purchasing railroad right-of-way and building infrastructure. With the completion of TRV’s Phase 1 projects, two new Amtrak Virginia roundtrips are scheduled to launch in 2026. The completion of TRV’s Phase 2 projects – which include a new bridge across the Potomac River — will result in three new roundtrips for a total of 13 daily roundtrips by 2030. | 
