A state railroad study is raising worries that Ashland might not have passenger train service one day.

Ashland's Town Council last week passed a resolution expressing that concern, adding that the Amtrak station enhances business and is important to the town's identity.

"Truly, the railroad is Ashland," downtown business owner Caroline Coronado said at a meeting Tuesday night before the council unanimously passed the measure.

The resolution was prompted by initial results that are part of a study by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The study won't be finished until next year.

State officials say they are considering several options as part of a larger plan for eventual high-speed rail service in the Interstate 95 corridor, and they emphasize that no decision will be made anytime soon.

The study seeks to determine the best route for passenger trains between Richmond's Main Street Station and Doswell, near Kings Dominion. It includes an evaluation that looks at the route that bypasses Acca Yard and runs along the Buckingham Branch rail line east of the I-95 corridor.

Town officials worry that the Buckingham Branch route, if chosen, would serve as the main route for Amtrak's north-south service, bypassing the Ashland and Staples Mill Road stations along the CSX tracks.

Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero said, "We plan to continue serving Ashland for the foreseeable future."Fifty-four Amtrak trains pass through Ashland's station every week, and between 12,000 and 15,000 passengers come through the station each year.

"We were built as a railroad town," says Mayor Faye O. Prichard. "It's really sort of like telling your mother she's not your mother anymore."

Some downtown Ashland retailers fear that losing the station would devastate their businesses.

"There's not a huge amount of retail," said Jessica Robertson, president of Market Ashland Partnership. "But those that are there will greatly be impacted."

The train station is also used by students of Randolph-Macon College, as well as by faculty and prospective students.

"It is certainly something that we see as a benefit to our students," said Steven Nape, dean of admissions and financial aid, adding that the station adds character to Randolph-Macon.

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce R. Homer said that the concerns of those in Ashland will be factored into any decision made on the matter.

The Department of Rail and Public Transportation is expected to recommend one of the two routes to the Commonwealth Transportation Board in the spring or summer of next year.

Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or rwilliams@timesdispatch.com.