The service will undergo expansion as the result of a December 19, 2019 deal brokered between former Virginia governor Ralph Northam and rail company CSX Transportation.

[4] Discussions about commuter rail service in Northern Virginia had occurred as early as 1964 at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, but died in the face of opposition by the freight railroads whose tracks offered ready access to core employment areas.

Legislation established a 2% motor fuels tax to support VRE expenses and other transportation investments.

Arlington and Alexandria agreed to contribute to the project and have paid each year approximately what their formula share would be.

The cities of Fredericksburg and Manassas Park joined PRTC in 1990 and signed the VRE Master Agreement and became participating jurisdictions in 1992.

[6][7] Rail service operates Monday through Friday during rush hour in the peak direction, with trains traveling toward Washington in the morning and toward either Manassas or Fredericksburg in the afternoon.

[9] VRE operates on lines owned and maintained by Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, and CSX Transportation.

In December 2019, the state of Virginia agreed to purchase large portions of the right-of-way and track on the CSX line, as well as the Long Bridge into the District of Columbia.

[11][12] The change in operations took place on July 12, 2010, two weeks later than planned, to allow Keolis employees to learn how to run VRE trains.

VRE said passengers affected by track maintenance and heat restrictions were taking other forms of transportation.

VRE sold 33 of the Mafersa coaches to the Connecticut Department of Transportation in 2004 for its Shore Line East service.

[5][25][26] Starting in 2001, VRE also operated a number of second-hand Pullman-Standard gallery cars from Metra in Chicago.

[25][28] Trains currently comprise one and on some occasions two MPI MP36PH-3C locomotives that pull their fleet of Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo gallery cars.

For example, VRE managers disregarded warnings by a former employee, later borne out, that trains would hit the new Broad Run platform.