After more than a year of emotional debate and dozens of meetings, state officials announced their recommendation for how a federal rail project could play out in the Ashland area.
The Department of Rail and Public Transportation on Thursday recommended a so-called 3-2-3 option through Ashland, in which three tracks would narrow to two through downtown as part of DC2RVA, a federal rail project planned to someday run between Washington and Richmond.
Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey L. Layne Jr. said the recommendation was made to achieve the least impact on residents and businesses as possible while adhering to federal guidelines. He hoped the recommendation would quell community strife over whether to add a third set of tracks to Ashland or a western bypass through Hanover.
