Richmond Staples Mill Road station

Richmond Staples Mill Road station is an Amtrak train station located in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia, about Template:Convert northwest of downtown Richmond. It is served by the daily Template:Lnl, Template:Lnl, Template:Lnl, Template:Lnl, and several daily Template:Lnl trains.

History

File:Northbound train at Richmond Staples Mill Road station, September 1987.jpg

A northbound train at the station in 1987

Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail service in the United States on May 1, 1971. Ex-Seaboard Coast Line trains (Template:Lnl, Template:Lnl, and Template:Lnl) continued to use Broad Street Station in Richmond, while the Newport News section of the ex-Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Template:Lnl (later Template:Lnl) continued to use Main Street Station.<ref name=50years>Template:Fifty Years of Amtrak Trains</ref>Template:Rp Amtrak abandoned Broad Street Station on November 15, 1975, with trains moving to Richmond Staples Mill Road station in suburban Henrico County.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=great /> It was designed by David Volkert and Associates.<ref name="great">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The James Whitcomb Riley moved from Main Street to a station at Ellerson (Mechanicsville) on October 15, 1975.<ref name=rvm /><ref name=50years />Template:Rp Its Newport News section was discontinued on June 15, 1976; it was replaced with the New York City–Newport News Template:Lnl, which stopped at Staples Mill Road.<ref name=50years />Template:Rp Staples Mill Road station was Amtrak's only Richmond station until 2003, when Regional (later Template:Lnl) trains serving Newport News began also stopping at Main Street.<ref name=rvm>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A second island platform was added around 2009. The parking lot was doubled in size in 2018.<ref name="great"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Future plans

In May 2019, the federal and state governments approved the DC to Richmond plan for expanded rail service between Washington and the Richmond area. This plan would include improvements to Staples Mill station: two accessible platforms, a pedestrian overpass or underpass, and replacement of the station building.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> All Richmond trains would stop at both Staples Mill and Main Street, after extensive track improvements. A new bridge would be built over the James River, and a rail yard constructed in South Richmond. The 2019 plan is coordinated with updates to the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor plan.

In October 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority was awarded a $5.8 million federal grant to improve platforms and accessibility and add a platform canopy at the station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>