The Richmond & Alleghany Division became the second division of the Buckingham Branch Railroad in 2004 when the BB leased the track with operating rights from CSXT.  The R & A Division encompasses 199.6 miles of track between downtown Richmond, VA and JD Cabin, just east of Clifton Forge, VA.  The BB has trackage rights into CSXT’s Clifton Forge yard for interchange purposes.  The R & A enables the Buckingham Branch Railroad to provide direct rail and transload freight services from east to west across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The R & A Division has four Class 1 interchanges, two each with CSXT and Norfolk Southern.  The CSXT interchanges are at Doswell, VA and Clifton Forge, VA, while the Norfolk Southern interchanges are at Charlottesville, VA and Waynesboro, VA.  Multiple interchanges with both Class 1 railroads serving the eastern U.S. enable Buckigham Branch freight customers to get the best possible freight rates and schedules for connections to North America and the world.  The R & A Division is divded into three subdivisions, the Piedmont Subdivision from Richmond to Gordonsville, the Orange Subdivision from Gordonsville to Orange, and the North Mountain Subdivision from Gordonsville to Clifton Forge.  The BB Z862 and Z863 train crews are based in Doswell. the Z620 crew is based in Charlottesville, and the Z630 and Z631 crews operate out of Staunton.

BB Transload sites on the R & A are located at Doswell, Fishersville, Gordonsville, Keswick and Staunton.  Points of freight origin and destination on the R & A include Ruffin, Richmond, Atlee, Doswell, Noel, Beaverdam, Mineral, Louisa, Gordonsville, Orange, Lindsay, Massie, Ivy, Crozet, Afton, Waynesboro, Brand, Easton, Staunton, LaGrange, North Mountain, Craigsville, Bells Valley, Goshen, Crane and Clifton Forge.

In addition to the Buckingham Branch local freight service, CSXT operates empty overhead trains across the R & A and Amtrak operates the Cardinal passenger train that runs between New York City and Chicago across 125 miles of the R & A.  More than 150,000 freight and passenger railcars annually traverse the R & A Division.  The Buckingham Branch is responsible for all track construction and maintenance, signals, and rail traffic control (dispatch) for all BB, CSXT and Amtrak trains.  Together with local non-profits, the BB operates a gift collection train each December to help provide holiday support for families across the western part of the R & A Division.