Virginia Railway Express To Increase Fares, Offer Free Children Fares

MANASSAS, VA — Passengers stepping aboard Virginia's commuter rail to and from D.C. will see soon some fare changes. As of July 1, Virginia Railway Express will increase fares for adults and eliminate fares for children.

The adult fares will increase by about 5 percent. For example, the furthest-distance travel from the Spotsylvania Station to D.C.'s Union Station would increase by $0.65 for a single trip and $18 for a monthly pass.

For those traveling from stations closer to D.C., a flat fare will continue. VRE will also make a $5 flat fare permanent for travel between zone 1 (Union Station and L’Enfant Plaza), zone 2 (Crystal City and Alexandria) and zone 3 (Franconia-Springfield and Backlick Road).

For the free children fares, children 10 and under must be accompanied by a paying adult. Those aged 11 to 18 riding without an adult need a valid school, state or VRE Reduced Fare ID. Children 18 and under do not need identification when traveling with a paying adult. The Reduced Fare IDhas an online application.

The fare changes are part of the fiscal year 2025 budget approved by the VRE board. The budget also called for adding rail service on Saturdays, but that is dependent on VRE reaching agreement with its host railroads — Amtrak, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern — and its operations and maintenance contractor.

VRE has 19 stations between its Manassas and Fredericksburg lines, including L'Enfant Plaza and Union Station in D.C. For more information, visit www.vre.org.

The DC region's Metro is also increasing fares starting on June 30.