Welcome to Virginia Railway Express
Congratulations! You have taken the first
steps to a stress-free commute!
Virginia Railway Express
(VRE) is for people who have better things to do than
drive. Besides saving wear and tear on your car and your
nerves, VRE riders find the time to catch up on work,
read or maybe just decompress after a long day at the
office. Some people even call VRE the information
superhighway because they have time to keep up with the
latest news and literature.
Riding Virginia Railway Express:
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Introduction
The guide below was designed to help to plan your first ride.
Don't worry - it is easy. You won't even have to leave your
chair to get your tickets if you don't want to!
As you go through these simple steps, we have included many
informative links. Be sure to use your "back" key
to return to this page after you surf. As with most things in
life there are lots of different options to choose from when
buying your ticket; you can make the ticket purchase as easy
or complicated as you want. Because you are new to the system,
we have tried to give you lots of information, while guiding
you in the easiest and least time consuming direction. If at
any time you feel like you want to discuss your needs with a
live person, please call our office at (703) 684-1001 or, if
you prefer, you can email us at
gotrains@vre.org with
any questions.
Pick Your Station
First, you need to pick the station you want to travel from
and to. Look at our System Map and
pick the station closest to your house, then choose the station
closest to your office. Don't worry if your office isn't right
next to a station, we connect with
METRO(the subway and bus system)
at five of our convenient locations. Take note of the zone that
your station starts in (originating station) and the one you
will end at (destination station). The zone pairing will
determine your fare. Trying to decide
between two stations? Look at the amenities
and a map. This will tell you not only how to get there, but
what "extras" are offered there.
How Much Will a Ticket Cost?
So now you know what stations your origination and destination
are. This is your zone pair.
Next question is: how much will this cost? There are
6 different ticket options including
Monthly (unlimited rides in a calendar month), Five-Day (valid
for 5 consecutive service days), Ten-Ride (ten single trips - a
week's worth of round trips, but they don't have to be used
consecutively), Single-ride (this is a single-one-way ride),
discounts for seniors,
disabled and
youths under 18, and a
special Transit Link Card (TLC) ticket
that offers unlimited VRE and Metro usage for a calendar month.
To determine the cost of your ticket look at the
fare chart. Find your origination
station zone and your destination zone to find your fare.
What Times Do the Trains Run?
Trains run approximately every half hour during rush hour.
Since we are a commuter rail, we run north in the morning and
south in the afternoon and evening. Trains begin running as
early as 5:05 a.m. and leave in the afternoon as late as 6:50 p.m.
Look at the schedule or request a
pocket schedule be sent
to you. Then pick the time that works best for you. Remember to
give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. If you
have to be at work at 8:00 a.m. and the train is scheduled to
arrive at 7:55 a.m., it might be a bit too close!
How Do I Buy a Ticket?
Since you have chosen your station, and you know ticket type
you want, the next step is
the ticket itself! You can
purchase VRE tickets several ways,
including at the platform (with a debit card or major credit
card), at one of vendors (with checks, cash, SmartBenefit
Vouchers, credit and debit cards), or by sitting right in your
chair over the Internet.
If you want to start using VRE right away, the easiest and
quickest way to get your tickets is to purchase them on the
platform at the Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) with a debit or
credit card. Keep in mind that tickets are
NOT sold on the trains.
It's Time to Ride - What Do I Have to Know?
Riding Virginia Railway Express is the best part. Our
friendly, helpful staff are glad to assist you. Be sure to
arrive at the station early, so that you have time to park,
purchase your ticket (if you need to), and validate your
ticket.
What is validate, you ask? If you have a Single Ride,
or Ten-Ride ticket you must punch (like you would a time
clock) your ticket to make it valid. The ticket vending
machines at each platform are also validators. You simply
insert the end of your ticket with the arrows in the validator
and it will punch the ticket. If you purchased a Transit
Link Card (TLC) or a Monthly ticket you validate it simply
by signing it. Five-Day passes must be "activated" once
before use.
When the train arrives, you simply board and insert your
valid (validated) ticket in the strap in front of you (the
conductor will be come by to check it), sit back and relax.
If you want, let the conductor know this is your first ride.
He or she will be sure to help you with any questions or
concerns you might have.
Before each stop the conductor will announce the next
station. When yours arrives, be sure to pick up your ticket
and belongings and simply walk on to work. (Or take a short
stroll to Metrorail, DASH bus, Metro bus or any of our other
partners to get to work.) (Don't worry, if you forget
something we have a terrific lost and found system - just
call our offices at (703) 684-1001 to report the item)
Coming home: Simply repeat the earlier steps. If
necessary, be sure to validate your ticket for the return
trip.
A Few Things That You Should Keep in Mind
- VRE doesn't run on weekends.
- VRE doesn't run on Federal
Holidays. Amtrak trains are available for some
holidays; see the Amtrak
page for more details. NOTE:
VRE may make changes to their operating schedule. Please
visit the operations calendar
page for detailed information on limited and/or no
service dates.
- Delays do happen. To find out if your train is delayed,
visit "Rail Time"
on our website or call (703) 684-0400 or 1-800-RIDE-VRE.
(Our automated phone system is also a great way to get
schedule, fare, special events, and more information about VRE).
Finally, sign up for our e-news service,
Train Talk, to get the
latest information about VRE.
- Need to get home early? Take advantage of our early
afternoon trains. They leave midday Monday - Friday -- see
our schedule for departure times.
- Have an emergency and need to get home in the middle of
the day? You can! Commuter
Connections offers a Guaranteed Ride Home Program that
will get you home in case of a medical or other emergency
for you or your family, or unscheduled overtime.
Want to Contact VRE?
If you need more information, please contact us by email at
gotrains@vre.org or call us at
(703) 684-1001.
Interested in a New Rider Guide?
VRE's New Rider Guide is jam packed with tons of information every
first time rider needs and wants! Welcome aboard and thank you for
riding VRE! We also offer a printable
version of this great tool!
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