North Carolina and Virginia Stations Remain the Busiest in the Southeast Driven by High Demand

Multiple departures, flexible service boosting growth

WASHINGTON — Train travel is booming across the U.S., with North Carolina and Virginia seeing some of the highest traffic in the Southeast. In Fiscal Year 2024, the top stations in the region were the Staples Mill Road Station in Richmond, Va., and in Alexandria, Va., Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C, the Auto Train Station in Lorton, Va., and Norfolk, Va.

Trains operating to these cities offer customers the flexibility and convenience of frequent service and the ability to travel to multiple destinations in the Northeast, Southeast and for longer, overnight trips to locations as far south as Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. The Auto Train provides daily, nonstop service between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla.

“The strong ridership reflects the demand for train travel and the strategic investments North Carolina and Virginia are making to offer the public a viable transportation option,” said Jennifer Mitchell, Amtrak Executive Vice President of Strategy & Planning. “Thanks to our state partners, infrastructure projects are underway so we can bring more service and continue to provide customers an exceptional travel experience.”

Amtrak achieved an all-time ridership record in Fiscal Year 2024, welcoming a historic 32.8 million customers as demand for train service continues to grow in markets across the nation.

Amtrak Virginia, sponsored by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), offers 12 daily trains to the Staples Mill Road Station in Richmond for service to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York, and Boston. Customers can also access additional Amtrak service for travel to Raleigh, Charlotte, Savannah, Ga., and other cities as far south as Miami.

In addition to Richmond, Amtrak Virginia also serves Alexandria, Manassas, Newport News, Norfolk, Roanoke, and 11 other Virginia communities.

“With our key location connecting the Southeast with the Northeast, the growing ridership to and from our stations shows that Virginia is vital to the expansion of rail service on the East Coast,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “We look forward to increasing those numbers as our Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative expands rail service through the Commonwealth by acquiring railroad right-of-way, increasing rail capacity, and reworking passenger and freight operations to improve reliability.”

In North Carolina, the Piedmont and Carolinian trains offer daily roundtrips for travel between Raleigh, Charlotte, and other cities in between. The Carolinian travels daily from New York to Charlotte, and stops at the Staples Mill Road Station in Richmond, Va., and Alexandria, Va. Both trains are sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and operated by Amtrak.

“Record ridership for NC By Train since 2022 demonstrates the increasing importance of intercity rail in North Carolina as a transportation option and as an important part of economic development and benefits throughout the state,” said Jason Orthner, NCDOT Rail Division director. “We’re excited to continue this trend of growth while working to improve and expand service across North Carolina and the Southeast.”