Richmond Staples Mill Road station

For the bus rapid transit station, see GRTC Pulse § Staples Mill.
Richmond, VA
Staples Mill Road
Staples Mill Road station from the parking lot
General information
Location7519 Staples Mill Road (US 33)
Henrico, Virginia
United States
Coordinates37°37′04″N 77°29′49″W / 37.6178°N 77.4969°W / 37.6178; -77.4969
Owned byAmtrak
Platforms2 island platforms
Tracks5
ConnectionsAmtrak Amtrak Thruway
Local Bus GRTC: 18
Construction
ParkingYes; paid
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: RVR
History
OpenedNovember 15, 1975
Passengers
FY 2023403,892[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Richmond–Main Street
toward Newport News
 Northeast Regional Ashland
toward Boston South or Springfield
Petersburg
toward Norfolk
Petersburg
toward Savannah
 Palmetto Alexandria
toward New York
Petersburg
toward Miami
 Floridian Alexandria
toward Chicago
Silver Meteor Fredericksburg
toward New York
Petersburg
toward Charlotte
 Carolinian
     Auto Train does not stop here
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Petersburg
toward Miami
 Silver Star Alexandria
toward New York
Location
Map

Richmond Staples Mill Road station is an Amtrak train station located in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia, about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of downtown Richmond. It is served by the daily Carolinian, Floridian, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, and several daily Northeast Regional trains.

History

A northbound train at the station in 1987

Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail service in the United States on May 1, 1971. Ex-Seaboard Coast Line trains (Champion, Silver Meteor, and Silver Star) continued to use Broad Street Station in Richmond, while the Newport News section of the ex-Chesapeake and Ohio Railway George Washington (later James Whitcomb Riley) continued to use Main Street Station.[2]: 254  Amtrak abandoned Broad Street Station on November 15, 1975, with trains moving to Richmond Staples Mill Road station in suburban Henrico County.[3][4] It was designed by David Volkert and Associates.[4]

The James Whitcomb Riley moved from Main Street to a station at Ellerson (Mechanicsville) on October 15, 1975.[5][2]: 254  Its Newport News section was discontinued on June 15, 1976; it was replaced with the New York City–Newport News Colonial, which stopped at Staples Mill Road.[2]: 254  Staples Mill Road station was Amtrak's only Richmond station until 2003, when Regional (later Northeast Regional) trains serving Newport News began also stopping at Main Street.[5]

A second island platform was added around 2009. The parking lot was doubled in size in 2018.[4][6][7]

Future plans

In May 2019, the federal and state governments approved the DC to Richmond plan for expanded rail service between Washington and the Richmond area. This plan would include improvements to Staples Mill station: two accessible platforms, a pedestrian overpass or underpass, and replacement of the station building.[8][9] All Richmond trains would stop at both Staples Mill and Main Street, after extensive track improvements. A new bridge would be built over the James River, and a rail yard constructed in South Richmond. The 2019 plan is coordinated with updates to the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor plan.

In October 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was awarded a $5.8 million federal grant to improve platforms and accessibility and add a platform canopy at the station.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: Commonwealth of Virginia" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Warner, David C.; Goldberg, Bruce (2021). Fifty Years of Amtrak Trains: A Comprehensive Survey of Amtrak Routes: 1971–2021. Bucklin, Missouri: White River Productions. ISBN 978-1-932804-70-6.
  3. ^ "Amtrak to Start Use of Station Nov. 15". The Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. October 23, 1975. p. 8. Retrieved October 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b c "Richmond, VA - Staples Mill Road Station (RVR)". Great American Stations. Amtrak.
  5. ^ a b "Richmond, VA - Main Street Station (RVM)". Great American Stations. Amtrak.
  6. ^ "Staples Mill Amtrak station debuts new parking expansion". WWBT-TV. June 28, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  7. ^ Cline, Alexandria (June 28, 2018). "Amtrak announces completion of parking expansion at Staples Mill Road station". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  8. ^ "Home". dc2rvarail.com.
  9. ^ https://dc2rvarail.com/files/5215/5913/5857/Part09_Chpt_4_Preferred_Alternative_DC2RVA_FEIS.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  10. ^ "FY 2023-2024 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program: Project Summaries" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration. p. 24.

Media related to Richmond Staples Mill Road station at Wikimedia Commons