VA: Coming in 2026: New bus service to connect Virginia Beach to Shenandoah Valley

After a bit of a delay, a new operator for Virginia Breeze’s first east-to-west route is preparing buses to hit the highways next spring.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation announced Wednesday the Tidewater Current service will now operate under the Academy bus line. The route, originally slated to start this year, will connect Hampton Roads with the Shenandoah Valley.

Tidewater Current’s planned stops along Interstate 64 include Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg, New Kent, Richmond International Airport, Richmond Main Street Station, Charlottesville, Staunton and Harrisonburg. Once operational, it will run 365 days a year.

Chesapeake resident Mary Lou Burke hopes to use the service to visit walkable communities with good public transportation in other areas of the commonwealth.

“I am most excited to see where I can go with this new bus route, what opportunities it opens up and how well it interconnects with other transportation options such as Amtrak,” she said.

Burke and her husband, Don, sold her vehicle in 2022 to become a single-car family.

“I supplement walking, cycling, and catching rides (with friends) by taking Hampton Roads Transit,” she said. “I love the time it frees up to read, socialize or check my phone while HRT does the driving. And taking the Tide or the ferry is fun.”

A self-proclaimed non-enthusiast of driving, Burke said she also cares about the environment. Trains and public transit are generally considered safer and greener modes of transportation than car travel.

“I am hoping, however, that Chesapeake improves on our one-an-hour local buses, which make it hard to venture far,” she said. “I’m also hoping I will be able to easily take transit from Greenbrier to the Tidewater Current stops in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. If Chesapeake City Council fully funds the final recommendations of HRT’s Connecting Chesapeake project (when available), I have higher hopes that this dream will become reality.”

Virginia Breeze’s four other routes are the Valley Flyer from Blacksburg to Washington, D.C.; Highlands Rhythm from Bristol to Washington; Piedmont Express from Danville to Washington; and Capital Connector from Martinsville to Richmond to Washington. All buses maintain a restroom, baggage storage and free Wi-Fi.

For updates on the Tidewater Current and other Virginia Breeze services, visit virginiabreeze.drpt.virginia.gov.

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