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.

Virginia has agreed to pay Amtrak for additional intercity passenger train service in the state. The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved a $25.2 million, three-year pilot project to run two new passenger trains daily to Washington: one round trip from Richmond and one round trip from Lynchburg.