Federal authorities have dropped consideration of an eastern route for proposed high-speed rail service through Richmond that would have bypassed Ashland and Amtrak’s main Staples Mill Road station.

Imagine a 45-minute trip from Richmond to Washington—without taking an airplane. Now imagine Republicans and Democrats agreeing on the federal stimulus package. If the issue is high-speed rail, both could be possible. Yesterday, the potential for an economy-stimulating mass-transit project that could swiftly connect Virginia’s capital city to the nation’s capital drew congressmen and county and city officials of all political stripes to Richmond’s Main Street Station.