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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia Railway Express will run trains on Sunday, Aug. 23 — an unusual step for a railroad that operates weekdays only — as Washington hosts the first auto race ever held on the streets of the capital.
Northbound trains run in the morning and southbound trains in the afternoon, timed for people heading into the District and back. Alexandria Union Station on Callahan Drive is served by both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. Tickets are available at standard fares through the VRE Mobile app and at ticket vending machines at all stations, with a timetable posted at vre.org/schedule.
For VRE, headquartered at 1500 King St., the day is also an experiment.
"VRE is thrilled to provide weekend service to our community and visitors on August 23," CEO Katie Choe said. "We look forward to welcoming both longtime riders and first-time passengers on board, and using what we learn to help shape the future of VRE service."
The railroad said the single-day schedule will help it evaluate operational needs and customer demand for regular weekend service — a commitment in its System Plan 2050, adopted last year, that is not scheduled to begin until several rail infrastructure projects are finished, including expansion of the Long Bridge across the Potomac. That work is funded through the state's Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative.
One limitation: the trains run Sunday only. Saturday's schedule includes IndyCar qualifying and two IROC races, and there is no VRE service that day.
Metro is the other option
Metrorail will run its normal weekend service with additional trains on standby for the end of the race. From Alexandria, the Blue and Yellow lines reach the stations serving the circuit — Archives, Federal Triangle, Smithsonian, L'Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, Metro Center, Gallery Place and Judiciary Square.
Which station to use depends on the ticket. Spectators can enter only the area listed on their ticket, Stars or Stripes, and Metro has published a station-by-gate guide. Yellow Line riders bound for the Stars area should exit at Archives; those headed to Stripes gates at 7th and Maryland or 4th and C should use L'Enfant Plaza.
A limited-edition Grand Prix SmarTrip card goes on sale Aug. 20 at marked fare machines, including at Reagan National.
Metrobus routes near the Mall have been detouring since June. The D1X and D10 continue through Sept. 15, joined Aug. 1 by the D4X, D6X, D30, D32, D40, D44, D50 and D60, including late-night service on several. Routes A40, C11, C55 and D24 go on detour Aug. 21.
No parking, limited rideshare
Organizers say there is no designated parking for the race and that options near the circuit are limited. Rideshare pickup and dropoff is restricted to three points: 14th Street NW at Constitution Avenue NW, E Street NW at 5th Street NW, and E Street SW at 6th Street SW.
General admission was free, but the request window closed June 7. Applicants were notified by email and digital tickets delivered through Ticketmaster.
Flights may be held at Reagan National
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has warned that America 250 events involving flyovers and aerial displays will periodically affect DCA flights, listing the Grand Prix among them and flagging Aug. 21-23 — a day before racing begins.
Some airlines have already adjusted schedules to avoid planned airspace closures; other flights may be held through air traffic control. Passengers should confirm times with their airline. MWAA has not published specific closure windows for the race weekend as it did for July 3 and 4. The Brief has asked whether times have been set.
The race
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix runs on a seven-turn street circuit of about 1.7 miles, with a .4-mile frontstretch on Pennsylvania Avenue framed by the Washington Monument and the Capitol. It was created by executive order in January as part of the country's 250th anniversary observances.
Gates open at 8 a.m. Sunday, drivers are introduced at 12:20 p.m., and the green flag drops at 1:10 p.m. for a 147-lap, 250-mile race carried live on Fox. Post-race ceremonies begin at 3:40 p.m.
Saturday brings a second draw: IROC, presented by Chevrolet, putting former NASCAR Cup champions Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott on the circuit alongside Indianapolis 500 winners Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti, in Pontiac Firebirds raced in the series between 1996 and 2006. The two IROC races run at 3 and 4 p.m.
Organizers plan to host about 130,000 spectators each day, the AP reported, and said 288,000 free tickets were requested. VRE's announcement cited 140,000 daily visitors. Road closures will affect parts of Pennsylvania Avenue, Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, along with streets near the Capitol and the Smithsonian museums.
Race information is at 250.dc.gov and freedom250gp.com.
