RICHMOND, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) (AP) – State officials approved a deal Tuesday with Norfolk Southern to expand commuter and passenger rail services in southwestern and northern Virginia.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority will now extend passenger train service to the New River Valley. With access to the line, state officials said they could add passenger services to Norfolk Southern’s Cambria Yard station in Christiansburg for the first time since 1979.

“We are excited to deliver these benefits as we continue to accelerate results not only in these two regions but across the entire Commonwealth,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement.

In a news release, Rail Authority Executive Director DJ Stadtler thanked Norfolk Southern for partnering with the state.

“We look forward to finalizing this agreement, which will make passenger rail a viable option for even more Virginians,” Stadtler said.