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Ticket demand for the new Amtrak Virginia service from Norfolk has prompted Amtrak and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to add four more cars for the first day of service on Dec. 12.

The additional cars will add another 280 seats for the service launch. The round-trip train will bring intercity passenger rail service to Norfolk for the first time since 1977, and will link the city with a same-seat ride to Richmond, Washington, D.C., New York City and other locations, Amtrak and Virginia officials said in a prepared statement.

"The remarkable demand to ride this new service proves Hampton Roads is ready to park congestion and ride the train through Virginia and into the Northeast," said Thelma Drake, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

"It is encouraging to see such strong support for the new Norfolk service, and we are pleased to offer additional capacity on the first day of operation," added Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman.