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[1]
Passengers
FY 2022303,204[2] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Richmond–Main Street Northeast Regional Ashland
Petersburg
toward Norfolk
Petersburg
toward Savannah
Palmetto Alexandria
toward New York
Petersburg
toward Miami
Silver Star
Silver Meteor Fredericksburg
toward New York
Petersburg
toward Charlotte
Carolinian
     Auto Train does not stop here

The Richmond Staples Mill Road Amtrak station is located in unincorporated Henrico County, about 5 miles (8 km) north of downtown Richmond. The station was designed by David Volkert and Associates, and was built in 1975 as a replacement for Main Street Station in downtown Richmond, which had been heavily damaged by flooding from Hurricane Agnes.[3] At its opening, it also inherited trains that had called at Richmond's other former union station, Broad Street Station, with a bus connection to the short-lived Richmond–Ellerson Street Station. Although limited Amtrak service returned to Main Street Station in December 2003, Staples Mill Road remains the primary rail station for the Richmond area, and all Richmond trains make a stop there. Richmond Main Street Station only sees trains that terminate there or at Newport News, since the other trains bypass downtown Richmond to the west.

The station has an indoor waiting room with restrooms, a snack bar, and a ticket window. In 2023, renovations began to modernize the waiting room and restroom.

Richmond Staples Mill Road station platform entrance

Nearby modes of transportation

There are pedestrian sidewalks along Staples Mill Road, but the area surrounding the train station is a suburban sprawl area built in the 1970s. A designated line-up area for taxicabs is onsite next to the train station parking lot. GRTC bus service is available (via the Henrico County Government Center Shuttle 18). There are a few rental car agencies within a couple of miles of the station, as are Greyhound and other intercity bus services. The payment for parking is through a set of self-service ticketing kiosks, at less than $10/day. The station has 589 spots.[4][5]

Henrico County completed a multi-mode transportation upgrade in 2018. Staples Mill Road Station became the site of a new express bus station and the station building and platforms were improved. The parking lots were expanded and new taxi/ride-sharing zones were established.[3]

Train service

As of July 2022, the station is served by nine routes for a total of 18 trains daily, all of which continue north to Washington Union Station and New York Pennsylvania Station (some continuing as far north as Boston's South Station):[6]

As of 2018, Staples Mill Road is the busiest Amtrak station in Virginia, and the busiest in the Southeast, with 373,800 boardings and detrainings yearly.[8] This is mainly due to the large number of passengers traveling to and from Washington and points north.

Rail service Major Destinations
Carolinian Alexandria, Baltimore, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Washington, D.C.
Northeast Regional Alexandria, Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Newark, Newport News, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Springfield, Washington, D.C.
Palmetto Alexandria, Baltimore, Charleston, New York City, Philadelphia, Savannah, Washington, D.C.
Silver Meteor Alexandria, Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Savannah, Washington, D.C.
Silver Star Alexandria, Baltimore, Columbia, Jacksonville, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Raleigh, Philadelphia, Savannah, Tampa, Washington, D.C.
Amtrak Thruway Charlottesville, Virginia Beach

Future plans

The Amtrak schedule at Staples Mill may increase to 30 trains per day, 15 in each direction, by 2030.[7]

The May 2019 federal and state approved DC to Richmond plan for expanded rail service between Washington and the Richmond area would result in more trains per day, and the following Staples Mill Station improvements:[9][10]

  • Two new level-boarding platforms (the current platforms are low-level)
  • Pedestrian overpass or underpass
  • Replace the station building

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.

See also

References

  1. "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
  2. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: Commonwealth of Virginia" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "RICHMOND - STAPLES MILL ROAD STATION, VA (RVR)". Great American Stations (Amtrak). Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  4. "Staples Mill Amtrak station debuts new parking expansion". WWBT-TV. June 28, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  5. Cline, Alexandria (June 28, 2018). "Amtrak announces completion of parking expansion at Staples Mill Road station". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  6. "Virginia Service" (PDF). Amtrak.com. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  7. 1 2 "Amtrak service could expand to 30 trains a day in Henrico by 2030". 29 July 2021.
  8. Amtrak fact sheet for Virginia
  9. "Home". dc2rvarail.com.
  10. https://dc2rvarail.com/files/5215/5913/5857/Part09_Chpt_4_Preferred_Alternative_DC2RVA_FEIS.pdf

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