For Release: September 17, 2015
Contact: Bryan Jungwirth, Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations
bjungwirth@vre.org
(703) 838-5416 office
(571) 238-9084 cell
Alexandria, VA. – Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is preparing for heavy volume ridership during Pope Francis’s visit to Washington, DC. VRE will run regular service on September 23rd and September 24th and adjust our longest trains to the earlier morning and afternoon time slots to accommodate the expected early demand.
VRE is coordinating with local officials and law enforcement as there are several events scheduled that will likely result in extreme congestion directly affecting roads and public transportation. Due to anticipated congestion at the stations and heightened security, VRE trains could experience delays, especially closer to the downtown DC area.
With the expected increase in ridership during Pope Francis’s visit, VRE encourages riders to arrive at stations early and utilize the VRE Mobile app to purchase and validate tickets, as there could be long lines at ticket vending machines. To learn about purchasing tickets on your smartphone, please go to www.vre.org/mobile.
VRE will have staff on-hand at key stations to assist riders.
Riders can visit www.vre.org or call (703) 684-1001 to obtain schedule, service, fare and station information.
About the Virginia Railway Express (VRE)
VRE is the tenth largest commuter rail service in the U.S. and is a transportation partnership of the Northern Virginia and Potomac & Rappahannock Transportation Commissions. VRE’s mission is to provide safe, cost effective, accessible, reliable, convenient, and customer responsive commuter-oriented rail passenger service. It provides over 4.5 million rides annually in northern Virginia and Washington D.C. and its offices are based in Alexandria, VA. Visit our website at: www.vre.org