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Downeaster (train)
The Downeaster is a 145-mile (233 km) passenger train service operated by Amtrak and managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), an agency of the state of Maine. Named for the Down East region of Maine, the train operates five daily round trips between North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, and Brunswick, Maine, with ten intermediate stops.
In fiscal 2024, the Downeaster carried 598,426 passengers, up 27.0% from the previous year. It earned ticket revenue of 13,051,548, up from 10,420,681, for a farebox recovery of 50%.
The Downeaster follows the route historically used by the Pine Tree and Flying Yankee trains that traveled from Bangor to Boston and were operated jointly by the Boston & Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad. Passenger operations between Portland and Boston ceased in 1965.
In 1989, a group of volunteers founded TrainRiders/Northeast, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing modern passenger rail service to Northern New England.
In 1990, at the urging of Maine's congressional delegation, Amtrak estimated the cost of creating passenger rail service at about $50 million: $30 million for infrastructure improvements and another $20 million for equipment.
The following year, Amtrak agreed to provide the equipment at no charge to the State of Maine. Earlier in that same year, the Maine Legislature adopted its first citizen-initiated bill, the "Passenger Rail Service Act", which was endorsed by the Maine DOT and signed by the governor. In 1992, Maine voters approved a $5.4 million rail bond for right-of-way improvements, and $60,000 was granted to the Maine DOT to design a Portland intermodal terminal. Later that year, Congress approved $25.5 million for more right-of-way improvements, and 1993 saw an additional $9.5 million in track improvements. By the end of 1994, total appropriations for infrastructure had reached $38.6 million.
In 1995, Governor Angus King and Commissioner of Transportation John Melrose ordered the creation of a passenger rail authority. TrainRiders/Northeast, led by Chairman Wayne Davis, worked with the state Chamber of Commerce and industry, Maine DOT, and others to convince the legislature to create the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in August.
Service was initially expected to start in the 1990s. Negotiations between NNEPRA, Amtrak, and Guilford Industries (now Pan Am Railways) began in 1996, but began to fail over many factors, including equipment weight and speed limits. In December 1998, a speed limit of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) was agreed upon; the following year, the Federal Surface Transportation Board approved a limit of 79 miles per hour (127 km/h). Most right-of-way improvements were complete in 2000, but the following year, start-up was delayed again when Guilford refused to allow Amtrak to test track modulus or run trains faster than 59 miles per hour (95 km/h). The Downeaster made its first run on December 15, 2001.
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Downeaster (train)
The Downeaster is a 145-mile (233 km) passenger train service operated by Amtrak and managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), an agency of the state of Maine. Named for the Down East region of Maine, the train operates five daily round trips between North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, and Brunswick, Maine, with ten intermediate stops.
In fiscal 2024, the Downeaster carried 598,426 passengers, up 27.0% from the previous year. It earned ticket revenue of 13,051,548, up from 10,420,681, for a farebox recovery of 50%.
The Downeaster follows the route historically used by the Pine Tree and Flying Yankee trains that traveled from Bangor to Boston and were operated jointly by the Boston & Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad. Passenger operations between Portland and Boston ceased in 1965.
In 1989, a group of volunteers founded TrainRiders/Northeast, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing modern passenger rail service to Northern New England.
In 1990, at the urging of Maine's congressional delegation, Amtrak estimated the cost of creating passenger rail service at about $50 million: $30 million for infrastructure improvements and another $20 million for equipment.
The following year, Amtrak agreed to provide the equipment at no charge to the State of Maine. Earlier in that same year, the Maine Legislature adopted its first citizen-initiated bill, the "Passenger Rail Service Act", which was endorsed by the Maine DOT and signed by the governor. In 1992, Maine voters approved a $5.4 million rail bond for right-of-way improvements, and $60,000 was granted to the Maine DOT to design a Portland intermodal terminal. Later that year, Congress approved $25.5 million for more right-of-way improvements, and 1993 saw an additional $9.5 million in track improvements. By the end of 1994, total appropriations for infrastructure had reached $38.6 million.
In 1995, Governor Angus King and Commissioner of Transportation John Melrose ordered the creation of a passenger rail authority. TrainRiders/Northeast, led by Chairman Wayne Davis, worked with the state Chamber of Commerce and industry, Maine DOT, and others to convince the legislature to create the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in August.
Service was initially expected to start in the 1990s. Negotiations between NNEPRA, Amtrak, and Guilford Industries (now Pan Am Railways) began in 1996, but began to fail over many factors, including equipment weight and speed limits. In December 1998, a speed limit of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) was agreed upon; the following year, the Federal Surface Transportation Board approved a limit of 79 miles per hour (127 km/h). Most right-of-way improvements were complete in 2000, but the following year, start-up was delayed again when Guilford refused to allow Amtrak to test track modulus or run trains faster than 59 miles per hour (95 km/h). The Downeaster made its first run on December 15, 2001.