The Colonial was an Amtrak intercity passenger train that operated between Boston, Massachusetts, and Newport News, Virginia, from 1976 to 1992.

[2]: 38 The Newport News section was lightly used — usually not filling a single coach—and passengers between the Tidewater region and the Northeast had to transfer at Charlottesville.

[2]: 40  Following studies that indicated a market for direct service between the Tidewater and the Northeast, Amtrak replaced the Riley section with the New York City–Newport News Colonial on June 15, 1976.

[3][2]: 50 Initially, the Colonial ran between Newport News and New York City, except for the Saturday southbound train which originated in Boston.

[7] Beginning on July 30, 1978, northbound Sunday service became the Newport News-New York City Tidewater, and the Senator returned to its previous schedule.

[8] On January 4, 1987, the northbound Colonial collided with Conrail locomotives in Maryland, killing fourteen passengers and two Amtrak employees.

[10] Because the long-distance trains frequently ran late, only the Colonial/Tidewater provided reliable northbound service from Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Quantico.

[23] On October 28, 1995, most of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor services (except for the premium Metroliners and commuter-based Clockers), including the Richmond and Newport News trains, were rebranded as NortheastDirect and lost their individual names.

[25] The daily Newport News train became the Old Dominion, with Tidewater, Virginian, James River, and Potomac assigned to other trips.

The Bay State was cut back to Washington and replaced by the Springfield–Richmond Charter Oak, and the Potomac was renamed Gotham Limited.