VRE Frequently Asked Questions

In an effort to give you answers to your important questions quickly, below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions grouped in categories. You may also review our FAQ literature. If you find these don't answer your questions, please e-mail us at gotrains@vre.org

FAQs from the Online Forum

Q: When will VRE get Wi-Fi?

A: Wi-fi will not be available until cell phone towers are put in place all along our railsystem so that riders have 100% connectivity. We do not want our passengers to experience a service that might be more of an inconvenience than a convenience (long buffering, lost connectivity with unsaved documents, frequent timing out, etc.).

Q: Will VRE ever have weekend service?

A: Our current agreements with our host railroads prohibit weekend VRE operation given the large amount of freight traffic that is held out of the territory during the weekdays. This is done so that VRE trains can operate smoothly and efficiently during our core service periods and CSXT and NS freight trains can continue to run smoothly as well.

Q: What can be done about passengers who queue in the aisle way before their stop?

A: Standing is allowed onboard VRE trains (crowding does occur and trains are designed to hold standing passengers), so queuing is managed as a courtesy issue. We can continue to make courtesy announcements and work with crews to minimize this issue.

Q: When will the new cars be in service?

A: Nine additional cars will be added between 2018 and 2019.

Q: When will service start at the Potomac Shores station?

A: See Potomac Shores Train Station Moving Forward Following Signed Agreement Between Virginia DRTP And CSX Transportation.

Q: Can VRE add additional late morning, mid-day, and evening service?

A: We are only contractually allowed by our host railroads (CSX and Norfolk Southern) to run service within the allotted window of time that we currently operate.

Q: What is being done about the over-crowding on the trains?

A: We are working on gaining additional storage space so we can add additional cars to our busiest train sets, but unfortunately, we do not have an estimated time frame as to when such storage space would be able to be developed.

For Those Who Are New to VRE

Q: Does VRE offer free parking?

A: VRE offers free daily and overnight parking at most of our stations. You can keep a car at most stations for free as long as you need. However, remember that parking is always at your own risk.

To view station amenities, including parking information, please visit our station page and click on the station of your choice.

Special Parking Information:

Parking is not available at Alexandria, Crystal City or L'Enfant.
Union Station has a large parking garage available for a fee.
A Metro parking facility is available at Franconia-Springfield. A SmarTrip card is required. For more information, please call WMATA at (202) 637-7000.
Parking at the VRE Quantico station may require security checks.
If you plan to park at Manassas, you will need a permit. Please visit the Manassas Parking Page for more information:(http://www.vre.org/service/stations/manassas/manassas-parking-information/).
Fredericksburg station has 644 free parking spaces available in different lots located within a few blocks of the station. Restrictions apply to some of the lots according to residency. See our Fredericksburg Station parking page for detailed information and restrictions.

Q: Are there bathrooms on the trains?

A: All of our trains have at least one restroom, which is located in the car at the opposite end of the train from the locomotive, although our goal is to have at least two bathrooms. We attempt to place bathrooms on board the train so that riders never have to walk more than 2 or 3 cars. Unfortunately, we cannot always guarantee where the exact placement of a car with a restroom will be since cars often get switched out for maintenance.

If you have trouble locating a rest room, please feel free to speak to a conductor or fellow passenger.

Q: Is there a cafe car? Can I bring food aboard?

A: VRE trains are not equipped with cafe cars. However, VRE passengers are allowed to bring their own food and drink (non-alcoholic) aboard our trains to enjoy while they commute.

Q: Are there power outlets on the trains?

A: Most VRE trains are not equipped with power outlets. If you find an available outlet on the train, please use caution. Do not drape the cord across an available seat or across the aisle.

Q: Do kids ride free?

A: Children 10 and younger may ride free when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Passengers between the ages of 11 and 18 may take advantage of VRE's Youth Fare program which provides a discount of 50% of the regular fare. Discounted tickets can only be purchased at one of our vendors with a Youth Reduced Fare ID.

Q: What does the "S" above the train number on the schedule mean?

A: Literally, it means "special". These trains operate every VRE service day. However, they are the only trains that operate when VRE is on its "S" Schedule. "S" schedule days typically occur during times of inclement weather or around certain holidays. The decision to run an "S" schedule is typically made the evening prior, or very early in the morning, before service starts. Service updates are passed to our riders via Train Talk emails, website updates, and alerts to local media outlets.

Q: How will I know if my train is late?

A: On occasion, delays do happen. Delay information can be found through several different means:

Call our information hotline at (703) 684-0400 or 1-800-RIDE-VRE. Our automated system will keep you updated on any delays that are occurring.
Our "Train Status" tool is a web based program that allows passengers to get up-to-date information on where their train is located. To view your train's status, simply place your mouse over the train and you will get a "pop-up" box indicating the train's position.
Finally, riders may subscribe to Train Talk or Twitter to receive automatic updates customized especially for their travel needs on any computer or mobile device.
If you have already reached the station, listen for station platform announcements.

Q: Can we take bikes on the trains?

A: Collapsible bicycles are permitted on all cars, on all trains. These bicycles must be completely folded and safely stored in overhead luggage racks, under seats or in some other place that is not an inconvenience to other passengers.

Full size bicycles will only be allowed on the last three northbound, the mid-day, any reverse-flow, and the last three southbound trains on each line. Specifically, these are trains are:

Fredericksburg Line

Northbound: 310, 312 and 314

Southbound: 301, 311, 313 and 315

Manassas Line

Northbound: 328, 330, 332, 336 and 338

Southbound: 321, 325, 333, 335 and 337

Full size bicycles must board at the northern-most car on the train and use the southern half of the car.
No more than two (2) full size bicycles are allowed on the car. If the car already has two bicycles, you cannot bring your bicycle on the train and must wait for the next one.
Full size bicycles must be tethered to the bench seats using a bungee cord attached to the eyelet on the seat frame. The south end bench is distinguishable by only having four (4) folding seats. Bicyclists will be responsible for securing their bicycle.
The bench seating on the north end of the car is priority seating for passengers with disabilities. This area is located directly across from the restroom and cannot be used for bicycles.
If the bench seating for full size bicycles is occupied by passengers, the bicycle rider may ask the passenger to vacate the seat or ask the conductor for assistance if the passenger is unwilling to move. The priority will be for the bicycles.
For the safety and convenience of our other riders, bicycles will be boarded and removed last after all other passengers have boarded or detrained.
Passengers are not permitted to ride any bicycle on the platforms or trains.
All bicycles must be clean and free of grease.
VRE will not be responsible for the security of bicycles brought on board.

Q: I want to sell cookies, doughnuts, etc. at the VRE station. What do I have to do?

A: VRE does not allow any sales of goods or services on its platforms.

For Those Who Have Been Riding VRE Longer

Q: What are you doing about the people who loiter at the L'Enfant station?

A: Some passengers have expressed concerns about individuals who loiter and attempt to solicit from passengers at our L'Enfant station. These individuals have been removed from our platform by VRE staff, Amtrak police and the Metropolitan Police Department on numerous occasions. However, because riders continue to hand out money, they have continued to return. we ask that riders please refrain from handing out money.

Q: My ticket expired - what do I do?

A: We no longer exchange or refund expired tickets.

Q: I purchased a Ten-Ride ticket and now will no longer need it. How do I get a refund?

A: VRE Ten-Ride tickets are non-refundable. However, we do make exceptions from time to time on a case-by-case basis. To receive consideration, simply send in your tickets along with the Refund Request Form to:

Virginia Railway Express

Attn: Ticket Refunds

1500 King Street

Suite 202

Alexandria, VA 22314

You should receive a response to your request within 10 to 14 business days.

Q: How do I use my SmartBenefits/SmarTrip card?

A: VRE does not currently accept the SmarTrip card as a form of payment for VRE tickets.

However, in conjunction with WMATA and the Commuter Stores of Arlington, we are able to accept electronic SmartBenefits through a special program. For more information visit the SmartBenefits FAQ page.

Q: What should I do if I find I have left my ticket or a personal belonging on the train?

A: If you accidentally leave a personal item on a VRE train, please visit Lost Items page (for lost items), or Lost Tickets page (for lost tickets), to complete our customer service form. The information you supply will help us quickly locate your item and return it to you if it is turned in.

If you do not have access to the web, please call us weekdays between 7am and 7pm at (703) 684-1001. We can personally make note of any details that will help us identify and return your lost item(s) if it is located.

Q: Tell me about Guaranteed Ride Home

A: Virginia Railway Express is pleased to participate in a special service that can get you home in case of emergency. Commuter Connections "Guaranteed Ride Home" (GRH) is a special service that can get you home in case of emergency. This program is free and available to all VRE passengers. To learn more about how the program works, or to sign up, please visit the Commuter Connections website.

Q: How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to Train Talk?

A: If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe your email address, simply visit the Train Talk page and follow the prompts. If you need assistance, contact the VRE office weekdays between 7:00a and 7:00p at (703) 684-1001.

Q: How is the temperature controlled in your cars? I am always too cold or too hot!

A: Car temperatures on all trains have been stabilized to a consistent range of 70 to 72 degrees.

While we will continue to look for ways to improve our train’s HVAC units, there is no perfect temperature for everyone and some passengers will always feel cold while others will be hot and still for others the temperature will be just right. If you are cold we recommend that you do not sit in the upstairs section of the train, as this is where the blower used to circulate fresh air is located. This blower cannot be adjusted and it is usually this constant blowing of air that chills riders. Downstairs the blowing of air is less pronounced. Hopefully, this helps.

Q: I have a problem with the announcements on the train. They are too loud/not loud enough!

A: If the volume of announcements appears too high or too low, it could be due to a mechanical problem, or it may be due to the manner in which the crew person is making manual announcements. If this continues to be a problem for more than one day, please alert your conductor to the problem.

After you have discussed it with your crew person and you continue to observe a problem, please submit a mechanical concern complaint via the Train Information Form on our website. Information submitted in this manner is automatically sent to our Director of Rail Equipment & Services, allowing for faster review and problem resolution.

Q: Why doesn't your service guarantee cover the Amtrak trains on your schedule?

A: We are proud to be one of only three transit organizations in the United States to offer a service guarantee. We are also pleased to offer select Amtrak trains as a supplement to our own service.

Amtrak trains are not strictly limited to our service area. They are long distance trains that pass through our area of service. We are unable to provide any type of guarantee regarding their on time performance.

Q: When will you offer more service?

A: VRE service is concentrated during peak commuting hours. We do offer one early afternoon departure on each line, timed to allow many of our passengers the ability to work a half day and commute home on the train.

We regularly receive requests for express trains, early trains, late evening trains and weekend service. As much as we would like to add more service, we do not own the tracks we operate on. Therefore, we must receive permission from our host railroads (Norfolk Southern and CSX) to operate additional trains.

Q: Why do Norfolk Southern and CSX have different policies?

A: The short answer is that each railroad operates efficient and safe. Railroading is an inexact science and many challenges faced are met in different, but equally effective, ways. The approach to track restrictions in different kinds of weather is one of those challenges. The difference in heat policies is due to CSX having a lot more train traffic on their tracks than Norfolk Southern. This means they have more friction related heat (from the trains themselves). As a result, they have more speed restrictions to compensate for this additional heat related factor.

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