Williamsburg Transportation Center is an intermodal transit station in Williamsburg, Virginia. Operated by the

Williamsburg Area Transit Authority Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) is a multi-jurisdiction transportation agency providing transit bus and ADA Paratransit services in the City of Williamsburg, James City County, York County in the Historic Triangle area and Surry Cou ...

, it also serves

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

's '' Northeast Regional'' train as well as Greyhound Lines and Hampton Roads Transit intercity buses. The transportation center was formerly a

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. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond ...

(C&O) passenger station.

History

Northeast Corridor Amtrak 66 boarding trackside at Williamsburg Transportation Center 2-03-2008

In 1873, the

(C&O) line led by

Collis P. Huntington Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested i ...

had connected Richmond with the Ohio River Valley at Huntington, West Virginia. In 1881, the Peninsula Extension of the C&O brought the line east to the new city of

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Unit ...

. Williamsburg initially allowed tracks to be placed down the main street of town,

Duke of Gloucester Street Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

, and even directly through the ruins of the historic capitol building. As regular service was established, the main line was soon relocated slightly north. Williamsburg's original station was replaced in 1907 with a brick structure, in conjunction with the

tercentenary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

of Jamestown. Then in 1935, the 1907 station was replaced with the present station building with funding from

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in M ...

C&O passenger service to Williamsburg was replaced in 1971 by Amtrak.

Station layout

The station is served by two

trains a day in each direction, with direct service to

, 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), Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) and the

References

External links

Williamsburg Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
{{Transportation in the Hampton Roads Region Transportation in James City County, Virginia Transportation in York County, Virginia Transportation in Williamsburg, Virginia Amtrak stations in Virginia Railway stations in the United States opened in 1935 Stations along Chesapeake and Ohio Railway lines Transit centers in the United States Bus stations in Virginia Buildings and structures in Williamsburg, Virginia 1935 establishments in Virginia