With new Amtrak updates at the Ashland and Richmond stations now prominently displaying the information passengers need, she has happily retired the binoculars. As part of the system, Amtrak will notify passengers of updates from its PIDS Operations Center between the two stations at Richmond Staples Mill. As of March 28, Virginia stations equipped with PIDS include Lynchburg, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Williamsburg, and the Staples Mill Road Station in Richmond. Amtrak Virginia trains offer direct service to the Main Street Station to and from Newport News, Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and as far north as Boston, according to the company. In July, Amtrak Virginia reached a milestone, welcoming 131,743 passengers, marking the highest ridership for that month and the second-highest overall since the state-supported service began in 2009.