Northeast regional trains from Washington to Fredericksburg

[BVLenci]

We will be visiting in the US next week, and on Wednesday afternoon we will take the Northeast Regional train from Washington, DC, to Fredericksburg. It doesn't seem that there is any price advantage to buying the tickets in advance, and we're not sure exactly which train would suit us best. Is there any risk that some of these trains could be sold out? We would probably want to take the 3:55 PM train or the 5:50 PM train.

Thank you very much,

 

[sitzplatz17]

Prices do change, so it's generally recommended to buy ahead of time.

Sold out trains do happen, but a Wednesday afternoon seems unlikely so I'd worry about that a little less than price changes.

That said, there is another rail service called the "Virginia Railway Express" that runs on weekdays. This service is more of a commuter train rather than a long distance train but the fares are set and don't change.

For example there is a 4:40pm departure from Washington Union Station that arrives in Frederiksburg at 6:19pm for $11.10 one way.

Again, this is a commuter train, so it's a little slower and doesn't have the comfort or amenities of an Amtrak train, but I thought you might like to know about it.

 

[njdon]

I took a Norteast Regional yesterday and when checking availability noticed at least one of the trains was indicated sold out. I don't know how often that happens but it would seem to indicate making reservations in advance could be to your advantage although with flexibility you could possibly simply take the next available train.

 

[jis]

Specially for Fredericksburg you also have the VRE trains which cannot get sold out. So it is all relatively low risk. Even if all Amtrak trains are sold out you still have a recourse.

 

[battalion51]

Looking at Amsnag it looks like your options are 67, 79, 95, 125, 93, or 85 all at $25 presently. Its a few bucks more than taking VRE, but less likely to be overly crowded.

 

[BVLenci]

I hadn't heard of VRE, but if it's a local train without reservations, I think I won't bother with the reservation.

I've been looking at the Amtrak schedules for several weeks, and have seen no change in the prices at all. All of the trains have been $25 for over a month. The VRE trains cost less than half that, and they take an hour and a half rather than an hour and ten minutes. I might even prefer to take a VRE train!

Thank you all very much!

 

[the_traveler]

VRE is a commuter railroad, while Amtrak is the national railroad,. VRE trains may be filled with commuters to the Washington area, and does not have the baggage space aboard it's trains that Amtrak trains do.

 

[NS]

VRE schedules: http://vre.org/service/schedule.htm

VRE fares: http://vre.org/service/fares.htm

IMPORTANT NOTE: you MUST purchase your VRE ticket at the station AND validate it BEFORE boarding the VRE train. If you board without a validated ticket, you WILL get charged with fare evasion.

 

[Train2104]

Unless the government shutdown remains in force, there's a good chance you'll have to stand. VRE trains can get very crowded.