Quantico, VA (QAN)

Amtrak/VRE Station on Marine Corps Base
550 Railroad Avenue
Quantico, VA 22134-3444

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $615,571
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 21,009

• Ownerships
• Routes Served
• Contact
• Local Community Links

• Facility Ownership: Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac (RF&P) Subdivision (aka CSX Transportation)
• Parking Lot Ownership: Virginia Railway Express
• Platform Ownership: CSX Transportation
• Track Ownership: CSX Transportation

• Carolinian
• Northeast Regional

Todd Stennis
Regional Contact
governmentaffairsnol@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

• Marine Corps Base Quantico
• Town of Quantico
• Amtrak Virginia
• Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
• Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter trains

The Amtrak stop in Quantico consists of platforms with a shelter, but Amtrak passengers also have use of the 1950s-era brick rail depot used primarily by Virginia Railway Express (VRE), a commuter railroad. The building was remodeled and re-opened by VRE in April 2005. The renovation first required a hazardous materials remediation in 2003 and then virtually all of the building was refurbished. The roof was replaced and the exterior brick façade repaired. New plumbing and electrical systems were installed as well.

In November 2024, VRE, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), Marine Corps Base Quantico, the Town of Quantico and other federal, state and local stakeholders celebrated the completion of a $27.5 million improvement program at the Quantico station designed to enhance safety, service and rail capacity.

The project included construction of a pedestrian bridge over the tracks that incorporates red brick and glass; customers reach the platforms by elevator or stairs. In addition, a new 840-foot-long center platform was installed and an existing platform was lengthened by 550 feet to accommodate longer trains. The depot was refreshed with new paint and furnishings in the customer waiting area.

This work was funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia through a combination of Intercity Passenger Rail Operating and Capital (IPROC) and SMART SCALE grants. The IPROC legislation was the first known dedicated funding source to be created by a state to support intercity passenger rail operations and capital projects. Virginia’s SMART SCALE process helps it evaluate potential transportation projects based on key factors like how they improve safety, reduce congestion, contribute to economic development and more.

The Quantico station improvements also are part of a larger VPRA project, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth of Virginia and constructed by CSX Transportation, to add a third main line track in the area to help improve on-time performance for Amtrak and VRE trains.

The town of Quantico, along the Potomac River, is entirely surrounded by the Quantico Marine Corps Base. By the 16th century, the area was inhabited by the Algonquins. In 1608, European settlers arrived, using the river as a travel route in preference to the poor and muddy roads. Prince William County was organized in 1731, when the Quantico Road opened, giving access west. By 1759, the road stretched across the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley.

The gun positions around Quantico were used throughout the entire American Civil War. After a 12-day battle at Spotsylvania Courthouse, where the Union Army lost 25,000 soldiers, the battles shifted away from this area.

In 1872, an all-rail route was formed from Richmond to Washington with the connection of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac (RF&P) and Pennsylvania Railroads at Quantico. The Pennsylvania Railroad and several others joined up for the leg between Quantico and Washington. Before the Civil War, the RF&P had terminated at a steamboat landing at Aquia; post-war, the desire for more efficient and faster travel by rail led to the all-rail route. The rail connection improved transportation immensely in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this still remains a very busy passenger and freight rail corridor owned by CSX, the successor to RF&P.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Quantico Company was formed on Quantico Creek to promote the town as a tourist and excursion center. In 1917, Marine Barracks Quantico was established on land now occupied by the base. Originally, the Marine Barracks personnel consisted of 91 enlisted men and four officers; since that day, hundreds of thousands of Marines have trained there. The Marine Corps Schools eventually developed into the Marine Corps University. Today, more than a dozen different units and commands, including schools and war fighting laboratories, call the base home. Other major training and research institutions there include the Drug Enforcement Administration training academy, the FBI Academy and Laboratory, and the FBI Hostage Rescue Team.

Northeast Regional service within Virginia is funded in part through grants made available by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Platform with Shelter