.gif)
Williamsburg (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
The Williamsburg Amtrak station is located at 468 North Boundary Street in Williamsburg, Virginia
in the intermodal Williamsburg Transportation Center.
More comprehensively than many other U.S. destinations, Williamsburg offers good non-automobile driving alternatives for visitors and citizens, both getting there, and moving around locally. The area has both a central intermodal transportation center and an extensive public transit bus
system prepared to serve local users and visitors.
The centrally-located Williamsburg Transportation Center is located in a restored building which was formerly a Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(C&O) passenger station near the Historic Area, the College of William and Mary
, and the downtown area. It affords easy access to the Colonial Williamsburg
Visitor's Center and virtually all types of passenger ground transportation services are located there.
, Williamsburg's site had been selected in 1632 for the very reason that it was on the center ridge, or spine, of the land between the adjacent James and York rivers. After the capital of Virginia had moved to Richmond
in 1780 under the leadership of Governor Thomas Jefferson
during the American Revolutionary War
, Williamsburg had been reduced in prominence. It was not sited on a major water route and in the 18th and early 19th century, transportation in Virginia was largely by navigable rivers and in some cases, canal
s. Although new railroads seem to be springing up in many places after 1830, until long after the American Civil War
(1861–1865), none had come to Williamsburg or the lower Peninsula.
In 1873, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(C&O) line led by Collis P. Huntington
had connected Richmond with the Ohio River Valley at Huntington, West Virginia
. This had long been a dream of Virginians. By this time, bituminous coal
, abundant in southern West Virginia and western Virginia, was emerging as a major natural resource to fuel the growing Industrial Revolution
. In 1881, the Peninsula Extension
of the C&O brought the line east to the new city of Newport News
in a rural area of adjacent Warwick County
and the deep sea port of Hampton Roads
where new coal pier
s were built. Completion of the Peninsula Extension was good news for the farmers and merchants of the Virginia Peninsula
, and they generally welcomed the railroad. Williamsburg initially allowed tracks to be placed down the main street of town, Duke of Gloucester Street, and even directly through the ruins of the historic capitol building.
As regular service was established, the main line was soon relocated slightly north of what is now known as the Historic Area and the first of three passenger stations was established in Williamsburg. Other facilities were opened in the adjacent areas of James City and York counties at Diascund, Toano
, Norge
, Kelton (Lightfoot)
, Ewell
, and Grove
.
Williamsburg's original late 19th century station was replaced in 1907 with a newer brick structure in conjunction with celebration of Jamestown's 300th anniversary. Then, in 1935, that station, which was formerly behind site of the Governor's Palace
, was replaced with a newer one at the present location with funding from John D. Rockefeller Jr. as part of the restoration of the colonial capital which became known worldwide as Colonial Williamsburg. The brick colonial style building has been restored inside and out.
While the George Washington
was the railroad's flagship, the Fast Flying Virginian (which connected Washington, D.C. and Newport News) and Resort Special were also well-traveled trains on the system. During the heyday of the railroads, dozens of dignitaries arrived there, including Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Harry S. Truman
and Dwight D. Eisenhower
and Winston Churchill
.
By the late 1960s, the end of passenger rail in the United States seemed near. It now seemed that passenger rail's financial problems might bring down the railroad industry as a whole. Few in government wanted to be held responsible for the extinction of the passenger train, but another solution was necessary. In 1970, Congress passed and President Richard Nixon
signed into law, the Rail Passenger Service Act. Proponents of the bill, led by the National Association of Railroad Passengers
(NARP), sought government funding to assure the continuation of passenger trains. They conceived the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC), a hybrid public-private entity that would receive taxpayer funding and assume operation of intercity passenger trains. The NRPC started operating under the now familiar name of Amtrak. The remaining C&O passenger service to Williamsburg was replaced in 1971 by Amtrak services.
The passenger rail tracks on the Virginia Peninsula, owned by C&O successor CSX Transportation
, and shared by Amtrak, remained a preferred conduit for many persons visiting Williamsburg, including dignitaries. In early 2008, the U.S. Democratic caucus traveled between Washington D.C. and their annual gathering at the Kingsmill Resort
via Amtrak through the station.
trains a day, with direct service to Newport News
, Richmond
, and points along the Northeast Corridor
from Washington DC through New York City to Boston.
Intercity bus
service is provided by Greyhound Lines
(Carolina Trailways) and Hampton Roads Transit
(HRT).
The center also offers several modes of local transportation. Williamsburg Area Transport
(WAT) uses the center as a transfer hub for its network of handicapped accessible transit bus
routes serving the city, James City County
, and most portions of York County
adjacent to the Williamsburg area, with hourly service 6 days a week during daytime and evening hours. WAT routes planned for local needs and visitors serve most of the hotels and restaurants in the area, as well as Colonial Williamsburg's Visitor Center, Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country theme parks, the College of William and Mary and dozens of smaller attractions.
Taxicab
s and rental cars are also based at the transportation center. The Virginia Capital Trail
to Jamestown and Richmond is located nearby, and all of the WAT transit bus
es and many of Colonial Williamsburg's "gray buses" have been equipped with bike
racks which will help facilitate access for cyclists.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
in the intermodal Williamsburg Transportation Center.
More comprehensively than many other U.S. destinations, Williamsburg offers good non-automobile driving alternatives for visitors and citizens, both getting there, and moving around locally. The area has both a central intermodal transportation center and an extensive public transit bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
system prepared to serve local users and visitors.
The centrally-located Williamsburg Transportation Center is located in a restored building which was formerly a Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
(C&O) passenger station near the Historic Area, the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, and the downtown area. It affords easy access to the Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
Visitor's Center and virtually all types of passenger ground transportation services are located there.
History
Originally known as Middle PlantationMiddle Plantation
Middle Plantation in the Virginia Colony, was the unincorporated town established in 1632 that became Williamsburg in 1699. It was located on high ground about half-way across the Virginia Peninsula between the James River and York River. Middle Plantation represented the first major inland...
, Williamsburg's site had been selected in 1632 for the very reason that it was on the center ridge, or spine, of the land between the adjacent James and York rivers. After the capital of Virginia had moved to Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1780 under the leadership of Governor Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Williamsburg had been reduced in prominence. It was not sited on a major water route and in the 18th and early 19th century, transportation in Virginia was largely by navigable rivers and in some cases, canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s. Although new railroads seem to be springing up in many places after 1830, until long after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865), none had come to Williamsburg or the lower Peninsula.
In 1873, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
(C&O) line led by Collis P. Huntington
Collis P. Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington was one of the Big Four of western railroading who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad...
had connected Richmond with the Ohio River Valley at Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. This had long been a dream of Virginians. By this time, bituminous coal
Bituminous coal
Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
, abundant in southern West Virginia and western Virginia, was emerging as a major natural resource to fuel the growing Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. In 1881, the Peninsula Extension
Peninsula Extension
The Peninsula Extension which created the Peninsula Subdivision of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was the new railroad line on the Virginia Peninsula from Richmond to southeastern Warwick County...
of the C&O brought the line east to the new city of Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
in a rural area of adjacent Warwick County
Warwick County, Virginia
Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. It became the City of Warwick on July 16, 1952...
and the deep sea port of Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
where new coal pier
Coal pier
A coal pier is a transloading facility designed for the transfer of coal between rail and ship.The typical facility for loading ships consists of a holding area and a system of conveyors for transferring the coal to dockside and loading it into the ship's cargo holds...
s were built. Completion of the Peninsula Extension was good news for the farmers and merchants of the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
, and they generally welcomed the railroad. Williamsburg initially allowed tracks to be placed down the main street of town, Duke of Gloucester Street, and even directly through the ruins of the historic capitol building.
Toano, Virginia
Toano is an unincorporated town in James City County, Virginia, United States.-History:Toano was established in the late 19th century in western James City County at the former site of Burnt Ordinary, which was named in the 18th century for a roadside tavern that had burned down...
, Norge
Norge, Virginia
Norge is an unincorporated community in James City County, Virginia, United States.-Location:Norge was located on the old Richmond-Williamsburg Stage Road, which is U.S. Route 60 in modern times. Interstate 64 was built through the area in the 1970s, and passes nearby...
, Kelton (Lightfoot)
Lightfoot, Virginia
Lightfoot is an unincorporated community which straddles the James City–York county border, west of Williamsburg, in the U.S. state of Virginia....
, Ewell
Ewell, Virginia
Ewell was an unincorporated town in James City County west of Williamsburg, in the U.S. state of Virginia.Ewell was named for Benjamin Stoddard Ewell who was a U.S. and Confederate army officer, and civil engineer...
, and Grove
Grove, Virginia
Grove is an unincorporated community in the southeastern portion of James City County in the Peninsula subregion of Virginia in the United States. It is located in the center of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, communities linked by the Colonial Parkway; the area is one of the busiest...
.
Williamsburg's original late 19th century station was replaced in 1907 with a newer brick structure in conjunction with celebration of Jamestown's 300th anniversary. Then, in 1935, that station, which was formerly behind site of the Governor's Palace
Governor's Palace
The Governor's Palace, home of the Colony of Virginia's Royal Governors as well as Virginia's post colonial governors, is located on Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is one of the two largest buildings at Colonial Williamsburg, the other being the Capitol...
, was replaced with a newer one at the present location with funding from John D. Rockefeller Jr. as part of the restoration of the colonial capital which became known worldwide as Colonial Williamsburg. The brick colonial style building has been restored inside and out.
While the George Washington
George Washington (C&O)
The George Washington was a named passenger train of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway running on a route between Cincinnati, Ohio and Washington, D.C. -History:...
was the railroad's flagship, the Fast Flying Virginian (which connected Washington, D.C. and Newport News) and Resort Special were also well-traveled trains on the system. During the heyday of the railroads, dozens of dignitaries arrived there, including Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
.
By the late 1960s, the end of passenger rail in the United States seemed near. It now seemed that passenger rail's financial problems might bring down the railroad industry as a whole. Few in government wanted to be held responsible for the extinction of the passenger train, but another solution was necessary. In 1970, Congress passed and President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
signed into law, the Rail Passenger Service Act. Proponents of the bill, led by the National Association of Railroad Passengers
National Association of Railroad Passengers
The National Association of Railroad Passengers "is the largest national membership advocacy organization for train and rail transit passengers" according to the association's website.- Early history :...
(NARP), sought government funding to assure the continuation of passenger trains. They conceived the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC), a hybrid public-private entity that would receive taxpayer funding and assume operation of intercity passenger trains. The NRPC started operating under the now familiar name of Amtrak. The remaining C&O passenger service to Williamsburg was replaced in 1971 by Amtrak services.
The passenger rail tracks on the Virginia Peninsula, owned by C&O successor CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, and shared by Amtrak, remained a preferred conduit for many persons visiting Williamsburg, including dignitaries. In early 2008, the U.S. Democratic caucus traveled between Washington D.C. and their annual gathering at the Kingsmill Resort
Kingsmill
Kingsmill is a name which has been used in James City County, Virginia since the mid-18th century. Initially the name of a plantation, in modern times, the name is attached to a geographic area which includes a large planned residential community, a resort complex, a theme park, a brewery, and a...
via Amtrak through the station.
Intercity rail and bus services
The Williamsburg Transportation Center is served by several AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains a day, with direct service to Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, and points along the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
from Washington DC through New York City to Boston.
Intercity bus
Intercity bus
An intercity bus is a bus that carries passengers significant distances between different cities, towns, or other populated areas. Unlike a municipal bus, which has frequent stops throughout a city or town, an intercity bus generally has a single stop at a centralized location within the city, and...
service is provided by Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
(Carolina Trailways) and Hampton Roads Transit
Hampton Roads Transit
Hampton Roads Transit a.k.a. "HRT" formed in October 1999 by the voluntary merging of PENTRAN on the Virginia Peninsula and TRT Hampton Roads Transit a.k.a. "HRT" formed in October 1999 by the voluntary merging of PENTRAN (Peninsula Transportation District Commission) on the Virginia Peninsula and...
(HRT).
Local transportation
Williamsburg Area Transport
Williamsburg Area Transit Authority is a governmentally-operated agency which provides transit bus and paratransit services in the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County in the Historic Triangle area of the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in southeastern...
(WAT) uses the center as a transfer hub for its network of handicapped accessible transit bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
routes serving the city, James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
, and most portions of York County
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
adjacent to the Williamsburg area, with hourly service 6 days a week during daytime and evening hours. WAT routes planned for local needs and visitors serve most of the hotels and restaurants in the area, as well as Colonial Williamsburg's Visitor Center, Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country theme parks, the College of William and Mary and dozens of smaller attractions.
Taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s and rental cars are also based at the transportation center. The Virginia Capital Trail
Virginia Capital Trail
Virginia Capital Trail is bicycle and pedestrian trail between Williamsburg, Jamestown and Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States...
to Jamestown and Richmond is located nearby, and all of the WAT transit bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
es and many of Colonial Williamsburg's "gray buses" have been equipped with bike
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
racks which will help facilitate access for cyclists.