Amtrak: Burke Centre Station Third Most-Traveled Stop in Virginia

Amtrak saw a record-setting 2012 fiscal year thanks in part to ridership from Virginia residents.

According to the Amtrak Fact Sheet for FY 2012 (see PDF at right), Burke Centre was the third most-traveled stop in Virginia after Alexandria and Ashland. The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) operates the Burke Centre stop. Regular Amtrak ticket sales to/from Burke Centre began in 2010.

Statistics released by Amtrak for every stop in the United States shows an increase in ridership by 3.5 percent. In Virginia, ridership increased by 8.3 percent.

Burke Centre is also listed as Virginia’s fastest growing station and one of the nation’s fastest at a 38 percent increase.

Two Virginia routes as ranked third and fourth as the fastest growing of the passenger services in the country. The “Lynchburg Train,” which stops at Burke Centre and the “Newport News Train” which stops at Woodbridge were third and fourth, respectively.

An estimated $6,787,407 of the $102,631,078 Amtrak spent on goods and services in Virginia in FY12 was also spent at the Burke Centre stop. Burke was second in procurement and contracts after Arlington.

The fact sheet also states an estimated 1 million of the 5 million Amtrak passengers who used Washington Union Station live in Northern Virginia.

“Passengers took 31.2 million one-way trips in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, marking the highest annual ridership total since Amtrak started operations in 1971 and the ninth ridership record during the past 10 years,” a press release states.