You can now make your way from Virginia’s capital to the nation’s capital before the work day even starts — or up to the Big Apple for lunch.

Governor Ralph Northam was at Main Street Station in Shockoe Bottom early yesterday morning to mark the first step in his plan to expand statewide rail travel + officially connect the Northeast and Southeast Regional Amtrak lines.

Gov. Northam was up early at Main Street Station to welcome Amtrak's Richmond to DC line

This inaugural Amtrak route to Washington, D.C. left the station at 5:35 a.m. and took a little over 2 hours to reach Union Station, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. For right now, there are 3 daily departure times for this route. Northeast Regional Route 51 is looking to extend hourly service to Washington, D.C. over the next 10 years.

Things to know before you board 🚆

Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure
Check out baggage guidelines regarding carry-ons
Group discounts are available
Get the Amtrak app for contactless ticket scanning
Change fees have been waived until Jan. 4, 2022

You can buy tickets for the Northeast RIC to DC trip right now. You can also book weeks in advance, and choose from a variety of cities through Boston, MA. We’ll see you soon, BOStoday. 👋

Main Street Station is located on 1500 E. Main Street in Shockoe Bottom.

And the milestones didn’t end at Main Street. Yesterday also marked the return of service to the Staple Mills Station, one of the busiest train stations in the Southeast, which closed to the public back in March 2020 due to the pandemic. This station is also connected to the Northeast corridor.

All aboard the Amtrak train, Richmond. 🚂

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