Amtrak downeaster celebrates 20th Anniversary
BIG WINS FOR AMTRAK DOWNEASTER
SERVICE MILSTONE + IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Congrats to Amtrak Downeaster for hitting a milestone 20 years of service! They connect Northern New England from Brunswick, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts on their Train to Maine passenger rail. According to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), the agency overseeing the service, more than 65,000 Downeaster trains have operated since 2001—transporting over 8.29 million passengers.
Initiatives under consideration to support and enhance existing service include inbound commuter service, Portland Station relocation, and the addition of a Downeaster platform in West Falmouth. They are also about to undergo a $22.9M infrastructure project in Wells which will improve Downeaster service reliability and set the stage for added frequencies into the future.
The project is funded in part with a federal grant through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) program which will be administered by the FRA. Additional funding for the project will be provided by Pan Am Railways and the Maine DOT.
NNEPRA sure has a lot to celebrate between hitting their milestone of 20 years of service as well as all of their improvements. They have also announced that to commemorate 20 years of service, a special $20 round-trip fare valid for travel on Downeaster trains during the month of January and February 2022, will be available for sale beginning on December 15, 2021.