Many who reserved a seat on a Washington-bound Amtrak train leaving the Staples Mill Road station on Inauguration Day still haven't picked up their tickets.
And waiting until Tuesday could mean long lines -- and possibly missing the train.
Before the historic day, travelers should go to the station to pick up a printed ticket from the ticket window or machine, said Chuck McIntyre, acting station manager for Amtrak's Richmond-area district. The station is open 24 hours a day.
"Even though they may have already paid for the ticket, they still actually have to have a printed ticket before boarding the train. A reservation is not a ticket," McIntyre said. "Sometimes people who have not traveled with us before are confused by that. We don't have e-tickets."
More than 700 people have reserved tickets for the four northbound trains leaving the Staples Mill Road station Tuesday at 5:09, 6, 8 and 11 a.m., and hundreds of passengers will be returning that evening.
Because the station's 288-space parking lot is likely to fill early, travelers can park for free at the park-and-ride lot on Glenside Drive and Cloverdale Street, about four blocks away. It also is accessible from Crockett Street off Staples Mill Road.
Shuttle buses will run from the Glenside Drive parking lot to the front of the station Tuesday beginning at 4:30 a.m., with the last shuttle for each train leaving the lot 15 minutes before each scheduled departure. The shuttles will take passengers back to the parking lot that evening.
One westbound lane of Staples Mill Road in front of the station, where the shuttle buses will drop off and pick up passengers, will be closed Tuesday from 4:30 to 11 a.m. and from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Henrico police will be directing traffic in the area.
Carpooling or arranging to be dropped off at the station also is recommended. Amtrak discourages passengers from parking at shopping centers and other private property near the station, because their cars could be towed.
All travelers must bring valid, government-issued photo ID, McIntyre said. They also should arrive an hour early and avoid bringing items that will be prohibited from inaugural event sites, such as backpacks, coolers, strollers, umbrellas and signs.
A list of prohibited items can be found at http://inauguration.dc.gov/index.asp
Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or mmartin@timesdispatch.com.
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