Richmond Highway Express
| Company type | Bus service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 2004-09-26 |
| Fate | Rebranded as F1X on June 29, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Fairfax County , United States |
Area served | Richmond Highway corridor, Fairfax County, Virginia |
| Products | Limited-stop bus service |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
| Website | www |
The Richmond Highway Express (REX) was a limited-stop bus service managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, linking King Street–Old Town station on the Yellow and Blue lines of the Washington Metro with Fort Belvoir. Operating along the Richmond Highway corridor within Fairfax County, Virginia, REX facilitated transit across the county between Old Town Alexandria and the Fort Belvoir military base.
Route
The REX route began at King Street–Old Town station, proceeding southward through Eisenhower Avenue station, Huntington station, and Mount Vernon, Virginia, before concluding at Fort Belvoir Post Exchange and Commissary. Along Richmond Highway in Alexandria, it made limited stops between Huntington Station and Fort Belvoir, while local transit needs were served by Fairfax Connector routes 151, 161, 162, 171, and 308. Additionally, the route included stops in Groveton, Virginia and Hybla Valley, Virginia.
Stops
REX utilized unique blue-and-gold signage for its bus stops, distinguishing them from the standard red Metrobus signs. These stops remained separate from Metrobus stops when transferring to other routes.
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, Virginia | ||||||
| King Street – Old Town Station Bus Bay K |
Southbound departure, Northbound origin |
Template:Rint Amtrak and VRE (at Alexandria Union Station) Template:Bus icon DASH: 30, 31, 32, 33, 102 Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 28A, 29K, 29N, NH2 Template:Bus icon King Street Trolley Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | ||||
| Dulaney Street / Duke Street | Both directions | Template:Bus icon DASH: 32 Template:Bus icon Metrobus: NH2 | ||||
| Mill Road / Eisenhower Avenue | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon DASH: 32 Template:Bus icon Metrobus: NH2 | ||||
| Eisenhower Avenue / Hoffman Street (Eisenhower Avenue station) |
Both directions | Template:Bus icon DASH: 32 Template:Bus icon Metrobus: NH2 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon | ||||
| Huntington, Virginia | ||||||
| Huntington Avenue / Metroview Parkway (Huntington Station) |
Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 10A Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 101, 109, 171, 301, 310 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon | ||||
| Richmond Highway / South Kings Highway | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 162, 171 | ||||
| Beacon Hill, Virginia | ||||||
| Richmond Highway / Southgate Drive | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 161, 162, 171 | ||||
| Groveton, Virginia | ||||||
| Richmond Highway / Lockheed Boulevard | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 162, 171 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Dart Drive | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 161, 171 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Arlington Drive | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 161, 162, 171 | ||||
| Hybla Valley, Virginia | ||||||
| Richmond Highway / Belford Drive | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 159, 171 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Ladson Lane | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 152, 159, 171, 308 | ||||
| Mount Vernon, Virginia | ||||||
| Richmond Highway / Mohawk Lane | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 171, 308 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Frye Road | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 171, 308 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Lukens Lane | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 171, 308 | ||||
| Woodlawn, Virginia | ||||||
| Richmond Highway / Sacramento Drive | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 171, 308 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Cooper Road | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 171, 308 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Jeff Todd Way | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 171, 308 | ||||
| Richmond Highway / Mount Vernon Memorial Highway | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Fairfax Connector: 151, 171, 308 | ||||
| Fort Belvoir | ||||||
| Fort Belvoir Community Hospital | Southbound terminal, Northbound stop |
- !Fort Belvoir Post Exchange & Commissary |
Southbound terminal, Northbound stop |
|||
Important information:
- The route forms a loop within Fort Belvoir between the Community Hospital and Post Exchange & Commissary stops; both serve buses traveling in either direction.
- Riders traveling to Fort Belvoir must show valid Federal or State photo identification to gain base entry; passengers without proper ID are required to disembark and await the northbound bus.
- Evening weekday services conclude at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and do not continue to Post Exchange & Commissary.
Service
REX provided daily operations with frequent service during peak periods. All journeys originated from the Cinder Bed division. The initial fleet consisted of twelve 2000-model Orion VI buses featuring the REX branding, followed by a batch of twelve 2006 Orion VII compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that were repainted between June and August 2014. The third group included twelve 2010 New Flyer DE40LFA diesel-electric hybrid buses, which were repainted into the standard red local scheme in 2018. Operations were based out of Four Mile Run division from 2004 to 2014, then shifted to Shepherd Parkway division from 2014 until 2018. From December 26, 2021, until the route’s termination on June 29, 2025, REX utilized standard Metrobus vehicles.
History
REX commenced service on September 26, 2004, replacing the southern portion of route 9A between Pentagon Station and Fort Belvoir; Fairfax Connector route 171 covers the remaining segment to Lorton VRE Station. Initially, fares were set at $1.00 during a one-year trial period. The route included service to Fort Belvoir’s Jackson Loop, with alternate trips routed via Pohick Road when the loop was closed. Passengers were required to comply with Fort Belvoir’s security protocols at this military base terminal. In 2008, night trips were truncated to terminate at Woodlawn instead of continuing to Fort Belvoir. During holiday Saturdays, additional trips extended service to Woodlawn. The promotional $1.00 fare was discontinued in January 2009 to match standard Metrobus fare levels. By 2011, all REX trips gained access to Fort Belvoir following the opening of its Community Hospital. In 2017, weekday service was extended to include the Fort Belvoir Post Exchange/Commissary; however, this extension did not apply to weekend operations.
Service changes
Since its inception, the REX route has largely remained unchanged in terms of routing, though schedules and stops have been adjusted periodically. To accommodate increased ridership since the mid-2000s, additional trips have been incorporated.
On August 7, 2011, with the opening of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital offering round-the-clock access, night-time alternate routing of REX trips to Woodlawn was discontinued along with service to Dewitt Hospital.
On June 25, 2017, weekday service was extended to reach Fort Belvoir Post Exchange/Commissary via Gunston Road; concurrently, service to Jackson Loop was eliminated. Nearby stops are now served along Gunston Road near 5th Street.
During the COVID-19 pandemic starting March 16, 2020, REX operated on a Saturday supplemental schedule before switching to a Sunday schedule on March 18. Weekend service frequency was reduced to every half hour. Full service levels were restored on August 23, 2020.
On September 5, 2021, daily service frequency was enhanced to every twenty minutes.
As part of WMATA’s Better Bus Redesign effective June 29, 2025, the REX route was rebranded as F1X while retaining its original routing.
Future
In 2015, Fairfax County and WMATA proposed transforming the REX route into a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor under the "Embark Richmond Highway" initiative. This project envisions extending service from Fort Belvoir southward to Woodbridge by adding new stations and widening Richmond Highway to incorporate dedicated BRT lanes alongside the existing REX corridor. These improvements aim to enhance transit efficiency and address increasing commuter demand in the area.