UPDATED: May 28, 2019: With all Metrorail Yellow and Blue Line stations closed south of National Airport for Metro’s Platform Improvement Project, here’s a helpful reminder of an alternative way to commute to Washington, DC from Alexandria.
One option often overlooked by inner-suburban commuters is the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), which offers commuter rail service from Manassas and Fredericksburg to Washington, DC. VRE features stops in Alexandria (at King Street) and Arlington (at Crystal City), as well as L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station in Washington. While costlier than Metro ($7.00 for a one-way trip between King Street and L’Enfant Plaza compared to $3.45 for the equivalent trip on Metro during peak-periods), service is fast and reliable. The evening travel time from L’Enfant Plaza to King Street is 15 minutes, compared to 17 minutes on the Yellow Line.
Commuter Rail is a Little Different than Metro
There are some quirks to commuter rail: You need to check the schedule, and plan your travel to meet the train on time. In addition, VRE does not accept Metro’s SmarTrip card; you must buy a paper ticket from a vending machine or use VRE’s app. And you must validate your ticket before boarding–by stamping paper tickets on the platform or tapping to use a mobile ticket–or face a $150 fine from the conductor.
VRE’s website offers helpful tips for passengers seeking an alternative to Metrorail, and for first-time riders.
From Alexandria or Arlington, Check the Schedule for Both Lines
Because most stations are served by only one of VRE’s two lines, VRE organizes schedules, train status, and ticketing information by line. However, Alexandria and Crystal City have the luxury of being served by both VRE lines, so passengers should check both schedules–or the summary tables below–to determine which train is best. VRE offers 14 northbound trains in the morning, and 15 southbound trains in the afternoon and evening.
Schedule: Northbound VRE Trains from Alexandria & Arlington
Schedule: Southbound VRE Trains to Arlington & Alexandria
Schedules current as of May 28, 2019. Verify current schedules at VRE’s website.
Boarding the Train in Alexandria
In Alexandria, VRE serves Alexandria Union Station, the city’s Amtrak station, at 110 Callahan Drive. VRE trains board at both platforms; announcements and status monitors in the station report which platform to board from. Use the pedestrian tunnel at the north end of the station to cross under the tracks from Platform 1 (next to the station) to Platform 2. Ticket vending machines are located on each platform.
To reach Alexandria Station from King Street (the street, not the Metro station), walk west on King Street along the north side of the street (the side the Hilton Hotel is on) and cross under the railroad bridges. Use the pedestrian crosswalk to cross King Street and enter the station grounds. Take the stairway up to the rail platform. Check the status of your train on Platform 1 and use the tunnel to cross to Platform 2 if needed.
To reach Alexandria Station from Metro, take the escalator from the King Street-Old Town Metro station platform to the ground floor. Make a U-turn at the bottom of the escalator and use the station’s side exit at King Street. Turn left and walk west on King Street under the railway bridge to the second stairway to the rail station. Check the status of your train on Platform 1 and use the tunnel to cross to Platform 2 if needed.
To reach Metro from Alexandria Station, walk to the north end of either platform (to the rear of an outbound train) and take the stairs down to King Street. Turn right, walk under the railway bridge, and turn right again to reach the side entrance to King Street station.
Boarding the Train at L’Enfant Plaza
VRE’s L’Enfant Plaza station is at 650 Virginia Avenue SW, between 6th and 7th Street SW. There is one platform. Tickets are sold at ticket vending machines along the platform.
To reach Metro from the L’Enfant VRE station, walk west along the platform (to the rear of an inbound train) and take the stairs towards the middle of the platform to 7th Street. Turn right onto 7th Street and walk a half block until you see the canopy over the escalators to the Metro station. L’Enfant Plaza is served by five Metro lines: Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, and Yellow.
To reach the L’Enfant VRE station from Metro, use the Metro station’s northernmost exit to the Air & Space Museum (from the mezzanine at the north end of the Green and Yellow line platforms). Take the escalators to ground level and make a U-turn. Walk to 7th Street, turn left, and walk a half block to the stairway to the VRE station platform.
Boarding the Train at Union Station
VRE uses the easternmost rail passenger gates near the McDonald’s at Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE. Check the gate letter and platform number on station monitors. Tickets are sold at VRE (not MARC or Amtrak) ticket vending machines near the VRE gates.
Follow signs inside the station to reach the Union Station Metro station, which is on the Red Line. The Metro entrance is on the western end of Union Station near the H&M store.
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