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Downeaster Inaugurates Fifth Round-Trip
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Last Friday, Amtrak’s Downeaster inaugurated its fifth round-trip between Boston, MA and Portland, ME. Another five minutes was shaved off the one-way schedule; the current 2 hour 30-minute trip is fifteen minutes faster than when the service started in 2001. In FY2006, the Downeaster had the highest ridership increase (32%) and the highest revenue increase (34%) of any route in the Amtrak system.
A video of the press conference at the Portland Transportation Center has been posted to the DowneastRiders Blog:
Speakers and Guests:
Patricia Quinn, Executive Director, Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority
David Cole, Commissioner, Maine DOT
John Baldacci, Maine Governor (D)
David Fink, President, Pan Am Railways
Patricia Eltman, Director, Maine Office of Tourism
Mary Beth Mello, Deputy Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration
Rhoda Salemme, wife of former Amtrak Superintendant Victor Salemme
Wayne Davis, Chairman, TrainRiders/Northeast
At the end of the video, Davis (who is also a NARP Vice President) reminded the crowd that the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant that has financed the Downeaster’s operations expires next year, and the effort to extend service northward to Brunswick has seen fits and starts.
Clearly, the political work to continue and to build upon the Downeaster’s successes have only just begun.
--Matthew Melzer
Posted by NARP
Tags: amtrak, downeaster,New Hampshire Advocates Urged to Question Presidental Candidates
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Yesterday, NARP sent the following message to its members in New Hampshire (by snail mail letter and e-mail):
To NARP Members in New Hampshire--
With the New Hampshire primary coming on Tuesday, January 8, you still have time to ask a presidential candidate (or candidates) about passenger trains. Your message could go something like this, substituting your own words where you can.
“The highly successful Downeaster train linking Boston, New Hampshire and Maine is expected to lose its federal funding next year, even though ridership is growing and the nation is increasingly concerned about climate change, a problem that passenger trains help address. As president, what would you do about passenger trains in general and the Downeaster in particular?”
Remember, it is good for ANY of the candidates to hear such a question. If that candidate drops out of the race, he or she nonetheless is likely to remain active, to support one of the surviving candidates, and possibly to help influence the eventual party nominee’s views of the issues.
The specific problem with the Downeaster involves expiration on September 30, 2009, of federal “CMAQ” funding which has been supporting the route. (CMAQ stands for Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement Program.) The Downeaster is enjoying record ridership and revenue, and has stimulated increased station-area real estate values and development. Passenger rail advocates in Maine are working hard to save the service, but the fact that only one of three states served provides operating funds does present a challenge.
Thank you for your efforts to preserve and expand passenger rail service!
--Ross B. Capon
NARP Executive Director
Posted by NARP
Tags: amtrak, downeaster, presidential election,©2006 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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