yes
Good for Ashland for not succumbing to those who think they know what’s best for them. The initial plans (a third track with overpass or trench for the tracks) would have destroyed what makes it a unique and special place. And the station is exactly where it belongs.
EMPHATIC disagreement here. Ashland is going to be a bottleneck for decades, the biggest freight/passenger conflict point north of Raleigh. They fought hard to keep HAZMAT running through their downtown for character, as well as maintaining numerous at-grade and pedestrian crossings and a major slow zone.
Could you provide a specific citation supporting your claims about what Ashland wanted with HAZMAT? Thank you for you indulgence.
What town populated by sane people would fight hard to keep HAZMAT running through their downtown? I mean, we have that in Baltimore, but at least the tracks are in a tunnel, albeit a tunnel built in 1890. I'm not sure why the locals in Ashland were so opposed to a bypass, and leaving the original tracks through downtown in place for commuter and regional passenger service.
No, what Ashland objected to was the proposal to build a third track through the middle of town that would have had a very negative economic and social impact. And yes it would have destroyed a town that prides itself on small town charm which some still believe is worthy of preserving (and is the subject of a couple minute commentary by the LSA on the AutoTrain as it passes through town). Yes, Hanover County objected to the bypass option which I woulld have been ok with but I could not believe it was seriously considered. The cost would have been exorbitant as the town and housing spreads a couple miles in all directions so the bypass would have been lengthy. I was surprised that another option to route freight onto the former C&O at Dosweell and on into Richmond was not pursued as in the past it saw considerable coal traffic and still has local business. In Richmond it has a head on connection to CSX for either Acca yard, Newport News, or staight on the old SAL (and someday maybe the SEHSR) and a connection with the currnet mainline.
Ah yes, the small-town charm of hosting the main north-south freight railway route on the east coast and having 750+ meter long PSR double-stacks, coal trains, and Hazmat rolling right through your downtown.
Obviously the residents of Ashland don’t live in fear of what might happen but welcome the railroad.
DC DOT at one time got concerned about Hazmat through DC and explored three alternatives for moving it away, all involving crossing the Potomac downstream of DC through a tunnel and then using the Pope Creek branch to get back to the CSX line to Baltimore. The cost inevitably came in at $5 Billion to $7 Billion and there were no takers for funding it. So they went instead to expand the Virginia Ave Tunnel for double track double stack operation together with doubling capacity on the Long Bridge and left it at that.
