Thanksgiving travel could cause parking nightmare at Amtrak station

Updated: Nov. 16, 2017 at 5:14 PM EST
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HENRICO, VA (WWBT) - Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year. Many will choose to go by train. And in the Richmond-area, that could mean a parking nightmare.

Construction happening at the station will eventually increase the number of parking spaces. The project started a few months ago, but it's not expected to finish until next summer.

Amtrak is anticipating a surge of customers at the Staples Mill location after more than 300,000 people traveled from the station last year.

To avoid the long lines and parking issues, here's some travel tips:

  • Take a taxi, Uber or carpool
  • Get dropped off or picked up
  • Give yourself 30 minutes or more to find a parking spot
  • Check the status of your train on their website first

Despite the possible travel headaches, officials say Amtrak is still a convenient option for holiday travel.

"The benefits of customers traveling on Amtrak is we allow them to break the travel quo," said Kimberly Woods, Amtrak Media Relations. "There's no middle seat, there's plenty of leg room, there's free WiFi, and there are outlets at every seat ... And we also allow generous baggage policy."

Over the holidays, security will also be increased to help you feel more safe and secure.

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