Virginia Railway Express acquires Seminary Yard in Alexandria

VRE plans to convert the former freight yard into a facility that supports expanded passenger rail service, including future evening and weekend service, VRE officials said in a press release. The acquisition of Seminary Yard will move VRE’s midday train storage from Amtrak’s Ivy City Coach Yard in Washington, D.C., to VRE’s service area. The previous arrangement, already involving complex scheduling coordination, was further complicated by Amtrak’s Ivy City Rail Yard Revitalization Project, which began in 2025 and is scheduled to be completed in 2030, VRE officials said. “With VRE preparing to vacate Ivy City [...] Seminary Yard fills an immediate need for us, while also ensuring adequate storage space for service expansion as we look to 2030 and beyond,” said VRE CEO Katie Chloe. The purchase is one part of a five-year, $155-million agreement between VRE and VPRA for the transfer of four properties VPRA had previously acquired from Norfolk Southern Railway. The remaining transactions include permanent easements on the Manassas Line and property in the Broad Run Corridor that will allow for use of new lead track from VRE’S Broad Run maintenance and storage facility to the Manassas mainline.