NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The new Newport News Transportation Center opened Thursday to Amtrak Virginia and regional bus system customers.
Amtrak, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and the city of Newport News officials marked the occasion with the arrival of Train 67 at the multimodal center at 11:33 a.m.
The roughly $53 million project is about 12 years in the making with some preliminary project designs dating back to 2012, according to online records.
The center is on 500-B Bland Boulevard, not far from Interstate 64. It will provide two daily Amtrak Virginia roundtrips between Newport News and Richmond, Alexandria, Washington, D.C., and cities in the Northeast. It is also, a less than 10-minute drive away from Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport.
“The Newport News Transportation Center is a landmark achievement for our city and a testament to the power of collaboration. This state-of-the-art facility enhances our region’s connectivity and reflects our commitment to providing an exceptional travel experience for all,” said Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones.
Jones said he appreciates the collaboration of all those involved – Amtrak, the city of Newport News, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), CSX, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) – in the project, which he calls “a new chapter of accessible and efficient transportation in Newport News.”
According to Amtrak Virginia, the new transportation center comes as the service operates along four corridors from Norfolk, Richmond, Newport News, and Roanoke to Washington, D.C., and continuing to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston – and is experiencing record ridership on its national network.
The transportation center was originally set to open in 2022, but that opening got delayed due to supply chain issues.