Downeaster Inaugurates Fifth Round-Trip

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