NS Upgrades in Support of Virginia Passenger Service

I'd like to start this thread to discuss any news on NS' work in support of Amtrak Virginia or VRE. Possible upgrades worth discussing

1) Petersburg- Suffolk tangent track to support Richmond - Norfolk Amtrak Northeast Regionals (now underway, with service to launch by year end 2012)
2) Lynchburg layover...for the existing single daily train...and for additional trains if launched (now being analyzed)
3) Lynchburg - Roanoke...for the extension of the Lynchburg train (and the TDX "vision" to the west)
4) VRE to Haymarket (in planning)
5) VRE to Culpeper (in dreaming)

First question: Virginia says Amtrak is likely to launch 10 months early...by Dec 31 2012, instead of October 2013...what work is done? what work is being done? What speeds (79mph) take what work? Why did it go faster than planned?

Here are the NS bits of the VDRPT Feb 2012 Norfolk Update (http://drpt.virginia.gov/activities/norfolk.aspx)

• All grading work on the Norfolk Southern segment of the Collier Connection is complete. Subballast and ballast has been placed, and Norfolk Southern track work is complete. Final track elevation adjustments will be made upon completion of the CSX connection work.
• Norfolk Southern has submitted design plans to DRPT for review and comment for the Portlock yard improvements.
• Field surveys and preliminary engineering work continues on the design of the 460 corridor signal and crossover improvements.
• Construction for the Harbor Park passenger platform and track is underway. Most work on the passenger platform has been completed. The passenger platform track is in place and elevated to the platform grade. Actual platform concrete work is complete. Work on the ramps leading to the platform is complete. A final segment of this track is awaiting signal structure relocation by Norfolk Southern.
• Design for the Norfolk Southern running track between Walnut Hill and Poe is complete and the contract for construction has been awarded. Groundbreaking for construction of this segment of the project took place in middle of January, 2012.
• DRPT, Norfolk Southern and City of Petersburg are coordinating efforts to minimize impacts to vehicular traffic on Johnson Road during the new highway bridge construction. Two citizen information meetings have been held as part of the project community outreach.