Richmond Highway Express

REX runs from its northern end at King Street–Old Town station, south through Eisenhower Avenue station, Huntington station and Mount Vernon, Virginia before ending at Fort Belvoir Post Exchange and Commissary. The service runs limited stops along Richmond Highway in Alexandria between Huntington Station and Fort Belvoir. Local stops are provided by Fairfax Connector routes 151, 161, 162, 171, and 308. The REX also provides service through Groveton, Virginia, and Hybla Valley, Virginia throughout the route. Select REX trips ends at Woodlawn, Virginia, instead of Fort Belvoir during Saturday Supplemental trips.

Stops

REX bus stops are provided on the special blue-and-gold sign, instead of the traditional red Metrobus stop signs. The route does not join the Metrobus stop signs when it connects to other Metrobus routes.

Bus stop	Direction	Connections
Alexandria, Virginia
King Street – Old Town Station Bus Bay A	Southbound station, Northbound terminal	Amtrak and VRE (at Alexandria Union Station) DASH: AT2, AT2X, AT5, AT6, AT7, AT8, AT10 Metrobus: 28A, 29K, 29N, NH2 King Street Trolley Washington Metro:
Dulaney Street / Duke Street	Bidirectional	DASH: AT7 Metrobus: NH2
Mill Road / Eisenhower Avenue	Eastbound	Metrobus: NH2
Eisenhower Avenue / Swamp Fox Road Eisenhower Avenue station	Bidirectional	DASH: AT5, AT7 Metrobus: NH2 Washington Metro:
Huntington, Virginia
Huntington Avenue / Metroview Parkway Huntington Station	Bidirectional	Metrobus: 10A Fairfax Connector: 101, 109, 151, 159, 161, 162, 171, 301, 310 Washington Metro:
Richmond Highway / South Kings Highway	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 162, 171
Beacon Hill, Virginia
Richmond Highway / Southgate Drive	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 161, 171
Groveton, Virginia
Richmond Highway / Lockheed Boulevard	Southbound	Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 171
Richmond Highway / Dart Drive	Northbound
Richmond Highway / Arlington Drive	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 161, 171
Hybla Valley, Virginia
Richmond Highway / Belford Drive	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 171
Richmond Highway / Ladson Lane	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 151, 152, 159, 171, 308
Mount Vernon, Virginia
Richmond Highway / Mohawk Lane	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 171, 308
Richmond Highway / Frye Road	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 171, 308
Richmond Highway / Lukens Lane	Bidirectional	Fairfax Connector: 171, 308
Woodlawn, Virginia
Richmond Highway / Sacramento Drive	Southbound	Fairfax Connector: 151, 171, 308
Richmond Highway / Cooper Road	Northbound	Fairfax Connector: 171, 308
Richmond Highway / Jeff Todd Way	Southbound	Fairfax Connector: 151, 171, 308
Richmond Highway / Mount Vernon Memorial Highway	Northbound	Fairfax Connector: 171, 308
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital	Southbound Terminal, Northbound Stop
Fort Belvoir Post Exchange & Commissary	Southbound Terminal, Northbound Stop
Notes: The route loops around Fort Belvoir between Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and Fort Belvoir Post Exchange & Commissary. Northbound and Southbound stops are provided in both directions of the road Passengers traveling toward Fort Belvoir must have a valid Federal or State issue photo I.D. before entering the military base for security procedures. Customers that does not carry an I.D. will have to exit the bus and wait for the Northbound bus route. Weeknight trips ends at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and does not serve Fort Belvoir Post Exchange & Commissary.

Bus 2684, one of the 12 2006 Orion VII CNG buses that were in the REX scheme until 2014.

REX operates seven days a week with frequent service during peak hours.[3] Off peak hours service runs every 30 minutes, and Sunday service runs every 60 minutes. During holidays, a Saturday Supplemental schedule is added to bring more service to the REX. All runs take place on board the 2009 New Flyer DE40LFA diesel-electric hybrid buses (6301–6312). These buses are painted in a blue-and-gold REX paint scheme, all of which operate out of the Cinder Bed Road division. The original REX bus fleet consisted of twelve now-retired 2000 Orion VI buses (2073–2084). The 2000 Orion VI buses were wrapped in the REX scheme, instead of being painted. The second "REX" fleet consisted of 12 2006 Orion VII CNG buses (2674–2685). The Orion VII CNGs were the first set which is painted in the REX scheme, until they were all repainted between June and August 2014. The third "REX" fleet consisted of 12 2010 New Flyer DE40LFA diesel-electric hybrid buses (6550–6561) before being repainted back into the red local scheme. The REX has previously operated out of Four Mile Run division (2004-2014) and Shepherd Parkway divisions (2014-2018).

REX began service on September 26, 2004.[4] The REX takes over the southern portion of the 9A, which ran between Pentagon Station and Lorton VRE Station.[3] The remaining portion of the 9A is provided by Fairfax Connector route 171, as the REX ends at Fort Belvoir. The fare of the initial REX route was $1.00, for a one-year demonstration period. The REX runs via the Jackson Loop at Fort Belvoir, although some trips alters via Pohick Road, when the Jackson Loop is closed. When the REX reaches Fort Belvoir, all customers that are on the REX follows the security procedure of Fort Belvoir, as the terminal is a military base. These procedures runs throughout all bus routes that serves Fort Belvoir. In 2008, the alternate terminal of the REX night trips was moved to Woodlawn at Old Mill Road. The night REX trips does not serve Fort Belvoir.[5] In addition to these changes, the REX route adds a Saturday Supplemental trip, where it adds more trips on holiday, when REX runs on a Saturday schedule. The Saturday Supplemental trips operates up to Woodlawn, the same place where the night REX trips ends. Alongside with these changes, the special $1.00 fare was changed to the same fare as any regular Metrobus routes in January, 2009.[6] In 2011, Fort Belvoir open doors to all REX trips, following the opening of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.[7] REX retained the full route until 2017, when the route is extended to the Fort Belvoir Post Exchange/Commissary.[8] This extension is only effective during weekdays, as the REX does not operate at the Post Exchange/Commissary on the weekends.

Bus 2082, one of the 12 2000 Orion VI buses that were originally in the REX scheme until 2006.

The REX does not change its main route since its opening, although times and stops were changed throughout time. Since the first time changes in the mid-2000s, REX adds more trips when there is a high demand in the route.[9]

In 2015, Fairfax County and WMATA plans to expand service through Richmond Highway. The major plans is to convert the REX route into a Bus rapid transit route, which the project is known as "Embark Richmond Highway."[10] This project is to bring more service along Richmond Highway by extending service from Fort Belvoir up to Woodbridge.[11] The idea of this project will add new stations, by widening Richmond Highway in order to make the dedicated stops for the new BRT route and the REX.[12][13]