Fredericksburg meeting will unveil new options on Washington-to-Richmond rail route
December 7, 2015
Source: Scott Shenk | The Free Lance-Star
Preliminary alignment alternatives for a proposed higher speed rail system will be unveiled and talked about at a meeting in Fredericksburg this week.
The Washington, D.C.-to-Richmond rail line would be a link for the Northeast corridor and the high-speed Southeast corridor, according to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
The 123-mile Richmond-to-Washington segment of the proposed Southeast High Speed Rail would allow trains to travel up to 90 mph. Current speed limits in the corridor are 70 mph; there are speed restrictions in certain areas, such as around the Fredericksburg station.
The meeting will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Dorothy Hart Community Center, 408 Canal St., in Fredericksburg.
The DRPT and the Federal Railroad Administration are overseeing the study, which officials say will be further developed with help from public input gathered at public meetings. The agencies have held other meetings on the study and will hold two others in addition to this week’s hearing in the city.
A decision is expected to be made on the study in 2017.
Alternatives for the higher speed rail line have previously shown either a new track running through the downtown train station or looping around the city before tying back in with the main track lines north and south of Fredericksburg.