Richmond Staples Mill Road station is an Amtrak train station located in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia, about 6 miles northwest of downtown Richmond. It is served by the daily, , , , and several daily trains.

History

Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail service in the United States on May 1, 1971. Ex-Seaboard Coast Line trains (,, and ) continued to use Broad Street Station in Richmond, while the Newport News section of the ex-Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (later ) continued to use Main Street Station. Amtrak abandoned Broad Street Station on November 15, 1975, with trains moving to Richmond Staples Mill Road station in suburban Henrico County. It was designed by David Volkert and Associates. The James Whitcomb Riley moved from Main Street to a station at Ellerson (Mechanicsville) on October 15, 1975. Its Newport News section was discontinued on June 15, 1976; it was replaced with the New York City–Newport News, which stopped at Staples Mill Road. Staples Mill Road station was Amtrak's only Richmond station until 2003, when Regional (later ) trains serving Newport News began also stopping at Main Street. A second island platform was added around 2009. The parking lot was doubled in size in 2018.

Future plans

The May 2019 federal and state approved DC to Richmond plan for expanded rail service between Washington and the Richmond area would include improvements to Staples Mill station: two accessible platforms, a pedestrian overpass or underpass, and replacement of the station building. 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.