One of All Things Trains' "hometown" railroads is the former Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac route between Arlington (Crystal City) and Richmond, VA. While many of the long-distance passenger trains this line once handled, such as the Atlantic Coast Line's Everglades and the Seaboard Air Lines' Orange Blossom Special are now gone, the route is now seeing burgeoning traffic that includes Virginia Railway Express commuter trains, Amtrak Regional trains that connect Roanoke, Richmond, and Newport News with New York City and Boston via Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia, and long-distance runs such as the Silver Star and the Crescent.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has committed significant capital, in the form of acquiring rail lines from CSX and Norfolk Southern, as well as properties which can be used for the expansion of passenger rail capacity. On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, several groups including the Commonwealth itself, Virginia Railway Express, and local politicians along the route held a groundbreaking ceremony to highlight improvements such as the restored 4th track on a portion of the RF&P. The photo below is courtesy the VRE Facebook page, which is linked below.
Link: (1) VRE was honored to join the Virginia... - Virginia Railway Express | Facebook