All Aboard! Round-trip trains to serve Norfolk again

Think about spending New Year’s Eve 2012 in Norfolk or maybe leaving town before midnight. Dec. 31, 2012 is the day the passenger train is due to run to and from Norfolk after a hiatus of 25 years. The service will be starting 10 months earlier than originally projected, according to Gov. Robert McDonnell.

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), CSX, Norfolk Southern and the City of Norfolk have been working to make the necessary upgrades for the service. 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. The economies of the Northern Virginia and Tidewater regions are intertwined and “getting this service operating will strengthen them both,” Thelma Drake, Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation was quoted as saying.

According to Amtrak official Joe McHugh, “There is high demand for passenger rail service in Virginia as demonstrated by considerable ridership growth throughout the Commonwealth.”

Amtrak Virginia is a program developed by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Amtrak to provide more rail travel choices in Virginia.  Officials expect the new service to boost economic, tourism and environmental benefits. Amtrak operates trains in partnership with 15 states and four commuter rail agencies.  For more information visit http://amtrakvirginia.com .