Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Wednesday that the expected start date of the Amtrak Virginia extension to and from Norfolk will begin before the end of 2012. This moves the service to start 10 months earlier than originally projected. “This service will provide immediate relief to road weary travelers between two of the state’s most congested regions” said McDonnell. “This service is long overdue.”

The round-trip train will bring intercity passenger rail service to Norfolk for the first time since 1977, and will link Norfolk with a single-seat ride to Richmond, Washington, D.C. and cities as far north as Boston.