Downeaster: Information from Answers.com

Downeaster
Info
Type	Inter-city rail
System	Amtrak
Locale	New England
Termini	Boston, Massachusetts Portland, Maine
No. of stations	10
Operation
Opened	December 15, 2001
Owner	Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority
Operator(s)	Amtrak
Technical
Line length	116 miles (187 km)
Gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm)
Operating speed	79 MPH (max)
Route map Legend 0 Portland 12 mi (19 km) Old Orchard Beach 16 mi (26 km) Saco-Biddeford 32 mi (51 km) Wells Maine/New Hampshire border 48 mi (77 km) Dover 54 mi (87 km) Durham-UNH 65 mi (105 km) Exeter New Hampshire/Massachusetts border 82 mi (132 km) Haverhill 103 mi (166 km) Woburn 116 mi (187 km) Boston North Station

The Downeaster is a 116-mile (187 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. In fiscal year 2006, it was Amtrak's fastest growing service, with ridership up 22.9% from the previous year. ^[1]. In FY07, the service's ridership increased nearly eight percent. Through the first six months of FY08, with the addition of a fifth round-trip, ridership is up approximately twenty-five percent.

Route

The Downeaster runs northeast from Boston's North Station through southeastern New Hampshire into southern Maine, terminating at Portland.

Amtrak uses the MBTA’s Lowell Line from North Station to Wilmington, the Wildcat Branch to Wilmington Junction, and the Haverhill/Reading Line to Haverhill Station. From there to Portland, it uses Pan Am Railways trackage. These were all part of the Boston and Maine Railroad - the part south of Wilmington Junction was once the main line and a branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, and the rest was the main line of the B&M.

If the Downeaster were to run solely on the Haverhill line it would conflict with the local commuter rail, as the Downeaster runs express from Woburn to Haverhill. The use of the Wildcat Branch to cross between the Lowell and Haverhill lines allows the Downeaster to pass a Haverhill train.^{[citation needed]}

Connections

No direct transfer exists between North Station and Boston's South Station, which serves Amtrak trains heading south and west (see North-South Rail Link). Connecting passengers can use the Orange Line to Back Bay Station or take a taxi to South Station.

From Portland to Bangor, Concord Coach Lines operates Thruway Motorcoach service, scheduled to connect to the Downeaster, and treated as one continuous route for ticketing purposes. Some Thruway buses run from Portland to South Station, making a direct connection with Amtrak's other services.^[2]

History

See also: Portland (Maine) Union Station

The route of the Downeaster is similar to the route historically used by the Pine Tree, which was a joint Boston & Maine / Maine Central train from Boston to Bangor. The primary difference is that a motorcoach (bus) carries passengers for the Portland-Bangor leg of the trip.

Finances

As of December 2007, operating the Downeaster costs $13.5 million per year, of which $6 million is covered by fares paid by passengers. The federal government provides $6 million per year through 2008, and Maine $1.5 million per year; after that, Maine will have to take over paying the entire shortfall if service is to continue. Massachusetts and New Hampshire do not contribute even though the train stops in those states.^[3]

Expansion and development

A proposed expansion would see service continued along Maine's Atlantic coastline from Portland through Brunswick to Rockland, an extension of some 80 miles (130 km). A study by the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology suggests that the extension, combined with commercial developments along the "Downeaster Corridor," could generate several billion dollars in construction investments plus $55 million annually in tax revenue for the state of Maine.^[4]

Ground was broken for the Brunswick Amtrak station on October 18, 2008. This project is a retail development centered around a new train station with future service south on the Amtrak Downeaster and north to Rockland on Maine Eastern Railroad. It will include shops, condominiums, and office space.

The Northern New England Passenger rail authority is currently waiting for approval on a $35 million loan from the federal government. If the loan is approved Pan Am Railways will immediately begin work on the rail line from Portland to Brunswick. It is the hope of the Authority to have passenger rail service to Brunswick by the year 2010. (See related news article: Still waiting for the missing link: Mid-coast connection to Downeaster hinges on $35M federal loan )

Gallery

A southbound Downeaster at Ocean Park, Maine, as viewed from the cab of a northbound train.

A Downeaster cab/baggage car.

A northbound Downeaster at Wells.

References

External links

• Amtrak - Routes - Northeast - Downeaster
• The Downeaster official web site
• Downeastriders.us - A passenger's guide to Downeaster travel
• TrainRiders Northeast - A non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to bringing modern and efficient passenger rail service to Northern New England.