OTOH, there is also not enough space at Main Street Station to handle the overall projected passenger growth in the Richmond area,
I dispute this. There is certainly enough space. Done properly, you could handle enormous numbers of passengers at Richmond Main Street.
You might have to put huge amounts of money into the station (raise the platforms, possibly even the trainshed, widen the platforms back into the trainshed which has been converted to a mall, extend the platforms the length of the trainshed and beyond, build a parking garage, add extra tracks and platforms, etc.)
But there's plenty of space there. It's surrounded by something like six blocks which are mostly parking or vacant.
Now, it may be *desirable* to have a north suburban station of some sort, but it is complete nonsense to say that it is necessary because there isn't enough "space" at Richmond Main Street.
The BBRR is a crummy passenger route, however, because it's very very twisty. So the CSX route is preferable, even if Amtrak has to build its own tracks on one side of the CSX tracks (which, frankly, I would like).
I honestly think Virginia's been going about things in Richmond in the wrong order.
Step one should be to build the James River Bridge and upgrade the S line so that all trains can run through Richmond Main Street.
Step two, improvements to Richmond Main Street Station to support more passengers on more trains on both routes (Newport News and Petersburg).
Step three, passenger-primary bypass tracks on the east side of the CSX line from Richmond Main Street north past Acca Yard.
Step *four*, a modern north-suburban station, *after* it's clear what the true demand at Main Street is.
Call it the "work your way back from Norfolk" plan, perhaps?
Anyway, instead they built an Acca Bypass for CSX, which will end up being on the wrong side of the yard for Amtrak. Twice.