A. BARTON HINKLE Thomas the Tank Engine was excited. It was a busy time on the Island of Sodor. Percy had just told him that the Rail way Board had dropped a proposed eastern route for an express train between the nation’s capital and the Capital of the Confederacy. “Who needs that silly Buckingham branch line, anyway?“ said Thomas to Percy.

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.

SUFFOLK—A man was struck and killed by a train as he walked along the tracks in Suffolk. Suffolk spokeswoman Debbie George said the man was struck from behind by the Norfolk Southern train around 9:50 p.m. Saturday. George said train operators sounded horns and whistles and attempted to brake but could not avoid hitting the man. Investigators determined that the man died on impact. Police have not released his identity.