By Gregg Otten, Contributor, Greater Greater Washington; October 8, 2020
Today, the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) is a paved trail used for fun and commuting across Northern Virginia. Of course, originally the Washington & Old Dominion was a railroad — one with a long and convoluted history that helped form Dunn Loring, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and other communities that still exist to this day.
Before it became the Washington & Old Dominion, the rail line that originally ran from Alexandria to the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Loudoun County was called the Richmond & Danville Railroad. Then it became the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railway before being leased by the Southern Railway. (You can catch up on that history with Part One of the series here.)