Ashland station (Virginia)

Ashland, VA
Ashland station in October 2021 after renovations.
Location	112 North Railroad Avenue Ashland, Virginia
Coordinates	37°45′35″N 77°28′52″W / 37.7596°N 77.4812°W / 37.7596; -77.4812Coordinates: 37°45′35″N 77°28′52″W / 37.7596°N 77.4812°W / 37.7596; -77.4812
Line(s)	RF&P Subdivision
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	ASD
History
Opened	1866
Rebuilt	1890, 1923, 1985
Passengers
2017	30,892[1]  10% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Richmond Staples Mill Road toward Norfolk or Newport News Northeast Regional Fredericksburg toward Boston South or Springfield      Carolinian does not stop here      Palmetto does not stop here      Silver Meteor does not stop here      Silver Star does not stop here
Former services Preceding station Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Following station toward Richmond: Broad Street or Main Street Main Line toward Washington, D.C.

Ashland is an Amtrak intercity train station in Ashland, Virginia, serving Northeast Regional trains bound for Richmond, Newport News and Norfolk as well as many points north. The station is also designated as Ashland's visitor center. The tracks are lined with a cobblestone median in the center of town, making it a popular train-watching site for railfans.

History[]

The Silver Comet stopping at Ashland on November 28, 1968

The station was built by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad in 1923, replacing a station which was originally built in 1866 and rebuilt in 1890. The station was closed in 1967, but reopened in 1985.^[2] It was originally served by the Colonial, and through numerous route changes over the years is now served by Hampton Roads-bound Northeast Regionals.

The Ashland station was racially segregated, like many railroad stations in the Southeastern U.S. built before the 1960s. It had separate waiting rooms for whites and blacks, served by a single ticket booth in the center of the building. The former black waiting room is now a museum filled with various RF&P railroad artifacts, including blueprints, model railroad trains, a bench that was once on display at the Smithsonian Museum, local newspaper and locally related magazine articles.

As of 2019, the station platform is being renovated in order to comply with ADA requirements. ^[3]

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Ashland station (Virginia) at Wikimedia Commons

• Ashland, VA – Amtrak
• Ashland, Virginia Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• Ashland, Virginia Tourist Department
• Ashland, VA (ASD) (Amtrak's Great American Stations)