High speed rail meeting slated
March 22, 2016
Source: Information submitted by Tom Harris, Hanover County Public Information Officer | Richmond Times Dispatch
ASHLAND — Hanover County will hold a meeting regarding the proposed D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail project from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 4, in the auditorium at Patrick Henry High School.
Representatives from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) have been invited to provide a project status update and discuss future steps, including future public input opportunities.
DRPT is conducting a three-year study on the 123-mile D.C. to Richmond (DC2RVA) section, which is generally expected to follow CSX right-of-way. As part of its environmental impact statement, the DRPT is evaluating which proposed route through the Ashland/Hanover area is most feasible.
Options for the Ashland portion of the rail include building a third track beside the existing CSX tracks through the center of Ashland; building a double-track bypass to the west of Ashland; or not building rail improvements, also known as “no-build.”
The DPRT is evaluating which infrastructure options will work best on different parts of the rail corridor. No options have been chosen yet.
The Environmental Impact Study is expected to be completed by the end of next year, and is required before federal funds can be used to construct improvements
The proposed DC2RVA High Speed Rail project is a portion of a larger effort to link Washington D.C.; Richmond; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and beyond to Florida, with a spur from Richmond to Hampton Roads.
More information about the high speed rail project may be found at https://dc2rvarail.com/.
Information submitted by Tom Harris, Hanover County public information officer.