Manassas station

Manassas, VA
The Cardinal arrives at Manassas.
General information
Location	9500 West Street Manassas, Virginia United States
Coordinates	38°45′00″N 77°28′22″W
Owned by	City of Manassas
Line(s)	NS Washington District
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	OmniLink: MN Cross County Connector
Construction
Bicycle facilities	Racks
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: MSS
Fare zone	6 (VRE)
History
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	1997
Passengers
FY 2023	43,221 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Culpeper toward Chicago Cardinal Alexandria toward New York Culpeper toward New Orleans Crescent Culpeper toward Roanoke Northeast Regional Burke Centre toward Boston South or Springfield Preceding station Virginia Railway Express Following station Broad Run Terminus Manassas Line Manassas Park toward Washington, D.C.
Location

Manassas station is a train station in the city of Manassas, Virginia in the United States. The station is served by Amtrak and the Virginia Rail Express.

History

Manassas station, 1969

The original Manassas Junction rail depot, built in 1852, was a modest log structure situated east of the current station, on the north side of the tracks where the Orange and Alexandria and Manassas Gap railroads intersected.

After the Civil War, the first depot at the current site was a long frame building constructed in the 1880s, following the typical designs of the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company, which gained control of the Orange and Alexandria in 1886. This frame depot was dismantled in 1904 and replaced with a brick passenger depot. However, on June 25, 1914, a fire broke out in the baggage room, consuming the depot and leaving only the foundation and walls of the station unburned.

Southern Railway would assume control of the line passing through Manassas from 1896 and would decide to build a depot within the municipality in 1914. The construction of the third and current depot would start and was completed in October 1914. This new structure, built in a Victorian-style red-brick structure with a ceramic tile-covered roof, which partially incorporated the walls of the previous burned depot, which measured approximately 20 feet by 77 feet. The new depot featured four rooms: an office, a ladies’ waiting room, a men’s waiting room, and a baggage and express room. It was about 32 feet longer than its predecessor, allowing for a modified room arrangement. Additionally, the depot included an umbrella shed on the front and east side, the installation of electric lights, and a tiled roof.

The station would fall into disrepair due to the decline of rail travel in the United States during the mid-20th century. By the 1990s, it required significant restoration. The city of Manassas acquired the depot from Norfolk Southern Railway, which previously took it over from the Southern Railway, and would take a comprehensive undertaking renovation project under the direction of The Manassas Museum System. Completed in 1997 for $575,000, the restoration involved extensive repairs and updates, including refurbishing the waiting room, laying new plaster, overhauling mechanical systems, and installing reproductions of original doors and light fixtures. The restoration also included a new tourist information center as well as the James & Marion Payne Memorial Railroad Exhibition.

Cultural events

Manassas Heritage Railway Festival

The Manassas Heritage Railway Festival is an annual event in Manassas, Virginia, celebrating the history of railroads in the region. Typically held in early June, the festival attracts rail enthusiasts and families from across the East Coast.

One of the festival’s main events is an excursion trip between Manassas and Clifton, Virginia, priced at $8 per person. This excursion is operated by the Virginia Railway Express.

Current services

The Manassas Station today is a station on the United States's national inter-city passenger rail operator, Amtrak, as well as a station on the Virginia Railway Express, a commuter rail which serves the region.

Cardinal

The Cardinal is an inter-city rail service connecting Washington D.C. and Chicago, running along the central east coast. Manassas is served by the Cardinal with three round trips per week by Amtrak.

Crescent

The Crescent is an inter-city rail service in the Southern United States, also operated by Amtrak. It travels between New York City and New Orleans, with Manassas being one of its stations. The Crescent provides one round trip that includes a stop at Manassas.

The Northeast Regional

The Northeast Regional is an inter-city rail service operated by Amtrak, running through the Northeast Corridor and Virginia. This route serves various Virginian cities before joining the Northeast Corridor on route to Boston. The Northeast Regional makes a stop at Manassas on its way to Roanoke and back to Boston, with one round trip that includes this stop.

Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line

The Virginia Railway Express is a commuter railway serving Northern Virginian cities from Washington D.C. The Manassas Line of the railway has eight round trips between Broad Run(the terminus) and Manassas to Washington D.C. and other cities in between.

Cultural influences

• The station appears on the cover of Manassas(band)'s 1972 self-titled double album. The image depicts musicians Chris Hillman and Stephen Stills standing on the north end of the then-Southern Railway depot. The station can also be seen in the music video for the Steve Winwood song Back in the High Life Again.

External links

Media related to Manassas station at Wikimedia Commons

• Manassas, VA – Amtrak
• Manassas, VA – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• VRE – Manassas