Bringing Amtrak service back to Suffolk might bring more dollars for businesses and the city, according to a state rail official.
The most noticeable impact of expanding passenger rail, a University of Virginia economist said, could be reduced road congestion and an improved quality of life for residents.
“We’re not talking about hundreds and thousands of jobs here,” said Terry Rephann, an economist with the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. “It’s a nice amenity that makes the community more attractive in a lot of different ways and makes it more livable.”
Rail ridership in Virginia has grown annually since 2020, reaching a record 1.4 million riders from July 2024 to the end of June 2025. The growth lends hope to several who want to see Amtrak return to the city. The former stop in Suffolk was eliminated in 1977 because of falling ridership, though a train still passes through the city on the way to Richmond.
“This is something that a lot of our citizens have asked us about, they’re excited about,” Mayor Mike Duman said during a June council meeting.
Suffolk City Council approved $485,000 in this year’s capital budget to pay for feasibility studies to show Amtrak the demand for a station without cannibalizing ridership from stations in Norfolk and Newport News. Studies, which are expected to take up to a year to complete, would also assess the best places to build a station.
Emily Shock is the chief of rail transportation for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. She said new stations can bring more travel spending, especially at nearby restaurants and stores.
“If a train station were developed downtown, they could see that ripple effect that could come from more investment in a station building,” Shock said.
How much of an impact is unclear without the ridership study, Shock said. It’s also dependent on amenities and attractions that draw people to a city.
Rephann said businesses and homes near a station can see higher property values and the area could be attractive to tech businesses looking to tap a commuter market or workforce.
But, the biggest direct economic benefit is the temporary bump from constructing the new stop.
“You’re not going to see a huge company move into the area because, all of a sudden, there’s this additional train access,” Rephann said.
Other community benefits include less time driving for riders and easier commutes, Shock said. Fewer cars on the road also means less traffic, decreased pollution and quieter cities.
Rephann said, if placed well, it could also mean a healthier community.
“There’s evidence that people walk and bike more with the addition of public transit access,” he said. “There’s evidence that it’s more equitable, that it improves access for lower-income individuals and folks that don’t have automobiles to be able to access more transportation options.”
For some, a new station also means a convenient way to the capital. City Manager Al Moor lamented the amount of time it takes to drive to Norfolk’s station just to pass back through the city to go to Richmond.
“If you add those times together, you'd already be sitting in Richmond,” he said.
Funding for a new station hasn’t been identified. Newport News replaced its Amtrak station in 2024 for more than $53 million, almost wholly from grants.
