WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | UPDATED: D.C. in a day on the new Amtrak service out of Lynchburg

UPDATED: D.C. in a day on the new Amtrak service out of Lynchburg

A new passenger train between Lynchburg and Washington D.C. has faced praise and criticism since its launch last month.

Amtrak's Northeast Regional Service is designed to serve tourists and business travelers.

But if you want to ride it and come back in the same day, your time is limited.

From arrival to departure, you only get five hours in the Nation's Capitol.

We took a trip of our own to see what can be done in that short window.

Our journey began at 7:15 a.m.

We arrived at Kemper Street Station, where our ride is already waiting for us.

By 7:38 a.m. , we were on our way.

Around 9:00 a.m. we made a very quick, five minute stop in Charlottesville. We picked up quite a few passengers.

The train started to fill up and we were still on time for our trip to DC.

We continue with four more stops in Culpeper and Northern Virginia, before crossing the Potomac into the Nation's capital.

We stepped off the train at Union Station at 11:24 a.m. after being scheduled to arrive at 11:20 a.m.

The first item on our agenda is lunch and there are plenty of options.

We checked out the large food court in the basement of Union Station, where you'll find dishes ranging from pizza to Greek food.

Union Station is just a few blocks away from the National Mall, where you'll find sites like the U.S. Capitol and The White House. Those places require advanced planning and a special ticket, so we decided to visit attractions you can walk up to, without a ticket.

First stop, The National Archives.

A short visit allows us to see the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Just four blocks away is Washington's Old Post Office.

The 270 foot tower has an observation deck manned by the National Park Service.

It's one of the tallest structures in D.C. and offers one of the city's best views.

Just south of the National Mall is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

This is where paper money is printed.

A free, 20 minute tour lets you see the entire process.

As the day winds down, we made our way down the Mall with a stop at the Washington Monument.

Solemn reflection at the memorials to World War Two and watched as names are traced at the Vietnam Wall.

Admire great buildings from afar including the memorials to Jefferson and Lincoln.

By 4:15, we're back at Union Station, ready for our ride home after a productive day.

We pulled back into Lynchburg around 8:30 p.m.

One thing we noticed about this service is that it seems to be very reliable.

A big complaint some have about Amtrak is that its trains don't run on time, but we made it to every one of our stops right on schedule.

You've seen what we were able to do on the train.

But will people in our region show enough interest to keep it running?

On a typical Monday, dozens make their way to Amtrak's newest train in Lynchburg.

Some, like Edmon Molette, are testing the service out of curiosity.

"I wanted to check it out and see what I could see in a day and later take my son, who loves trains," says Molette.

Molette recognizes the service is something new for Lynchburg.

"It's easy. You can go up to Washington and come back in the same day."

There was a time when that trip would have been difficult to make by train.

Amtrak has offered rail service to Lynchburg for years on it's Crescent train, but it runs from New Orleans to New York, and with so many people vying for tickets, most have to book months in advance to get a seat.

The new train only runs between Lynchburg and D.C. with stops in Charlottesville, Culpeper and Northern Virginia.

"I like the ride. It's realizing. I like the scenery. It's clean," says Molette.

There's also plenty of room, thanks to empty seats.

When we rode the train, about 30 people got on in Lynchburg.

An even larger crowd joined us in Charlottesville.

Amtrak says that number is healthy, and may even be exceeding its goal.

They're expecting at least 51,000 riders in the first year.

Will they come? Molette thinks so.

"I think as time passes and people realize how easy it is to get on this train and go up to DC and come right back, I think they will."

For all that it offers, the train does pose a few challenges.

On a round trip, the train only gives you five hours in D.C.

For some, that's not a problem.

We caught up with Molette on the way home to see what he accomplished.

"Actually, I went up to the capitol. Then I was able to go down to the American History Museum and I still had about two hours left over."

Amtrak expects the real test of the new train will come this winter, when students from Lynchburg and Charlottesville are looking for an easy ride home for the holidays.

Until then, Amtrak's laying out incentives to get people on board.

One way tickets start at just $38.