Amtrak launching express bus service between Metro Richmond and D.C.

A new express bus service connecting Metro Richmond and Washington, D.C. will launch March 7, providing additional travel options for passengers during ongoing rail construction tied to the Long Bridge Project.

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and Amtrak announced that the new Amtrak Connection service will offer round-trip, nonstop bus service between Richmond’s Staples Mill Road and Main Street stations and Washington’s Union Station.

The buses are designed to supplement rail travel while construction continues on the Long Bridge Project, a major infrastructure initiative aimed at expanding passenger rail capacity between Virginia and the nation’s capital.

VPRA implemented several service adjustments in January to accommodate the project, including new express buses linking Hampton Roads to Washington, D.C.

The Richmond routes will allow passengers to travel north to Washington in the morning and return to Richmond in the late afternoon by either bus or rail. Once at Union Station, travelers can connect to Amtrak’s Northeast Regional and Acela trains for service to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and other cities along the Northeast Corridor.

Reservations for the Richmond express buses are available through Amtrak’s website, the Amtrak mobile app or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. The bus trips will appear as booking options for travelers making trips between Richmond and Washington or as part of longer journeys combining bus and train service.

At Union Station, the buses will arrive at the station’s bus deck, located one floor above the main waiting area, ticket counters and boarding gates. Elevators, escalators and stairs connect the deck to the station interior, and Red Cap assistance is available for passengers who need help navigating the station.

VPRA Executive Director DJ Stadtler said the additional service was created in response to passenger demand following the January schedule adjustments.

“When we implemented our service changes in January, we emphasized that our teams would closely monitor ridership and look for opportunities to do more for our passengers,” Stadtler said in a statement. “This new Amtrak Connection service is a direct result of passengers asking for another option for travel between Richmond and Washington.”

Amtrak Vice President for Planning and State Partnerships Nicole Bucich said the service reflects continued cooperation between the rail operator and the state as construction advances.

The Long Bridge Project is the centerpiece of Virginia’s Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, a project that will create a new railroad corridor dedicated to passenger trains between Virginia and Washington, D.C., aiming to ease congestion on one of the busiest rail corridors in the country and allowing expanded passenger service throughout the region.

Service changes tied to the project are expected to remain in place until construction is completed in 2030.