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1/19/2026
Crews began construction work on the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority's (VPRA) Long Bridge project last week, triggering route changes and delays for Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) passenger-rail services.
The Long Bridge project is a 1.8-mile rail improvement effort to expand capacity for freight and passenger-rail service between Virginia and Washington, D.C. Service adjustments are expected throughout construction, which is slated for completion in 2030, VPRA officials said in a recent post on the project webpage.
Currently, both freight and passenger trains use a two-track, 100-year-old, CSX-owned bridge over the river. The Long Bridge project calls for the construction of a new two-track bridge next to the existing CSX bridge, separating freight and passenger traffic.
All Amtrak Virginia routes will remain in service during construction, with temporary adjustments to accommodate construction work, VPRA officials in a press release. One of the five daily roundtrips between Virginia and Washington, D.C. will be replaced with two daily bus trips.
No VRE trains are being eliminated. The VRE is temporarily adjusting schedules for the Fredericksburg and Manassas Lines and ending some routes in Alexandria, Virginia, rather than at Union Station in D.C., VPRA officials said.