RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) has announced that more people rode on Amtrak trains in Virginia during the 2023 fiscal year than in any other fiscal year in the company’s history.
According to a release from VPRA, 1.26 million passengers rode on Amtrak trains in Virginia during the fiscal year 2023 — which is between July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 — which set an all-time high for yearly ridership.
The previous record, set during the fiscal year 2015, was just 894,065.
All four Virginia corridors saw increases this year compared to fiscal year 2022, with an overall increase of 30%.
“These record-setting ridership numbers reflect the need for more investment in passenger rail in the Commonwealth,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA. “With planned infrastructure improvements from Northern Virginia into Washington, D.C., including a new bridge across the Potomac River, new investment will benefit not only Virginians but also, those traveling to and from our nation’s capital and along the east coast. It’s vital we continue to secure necessary funding for these projects to ensure rail is a viable transportation option in Virginia and beyond.”
Virginia also broke June’s Amtrak ridership record this year with 111,212 passengers, shattering the previous record of 85,533 set in June 2022. The month with the all-time highest ridership in Virginia was August 2022, with 119,280 passengers.
