$17M funding award will allow Downeaster to expand Maine train service

File Photo The Amtrak Downeaster, shown pulling into Freeport, may add a round trip in Maine once track improvements are made.

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By Staff

With $16.9 million in newly awarded federal funding, the Amtrak Downeaster passenger train service may launch an additional trip connecting Maine points — and passengers will see improvements at the stop in Wells.

The funding from the Federal Railroad Administration, announced in a news release Thursday, will help the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority pay for a 6-mile siding extension in Wells, upgrades in North Berwick and Brunswick, and a new platform and pedestrian bridge at the Wells Transportation Center.

The authority, a public agency, operates the Downeaster in collaboration with Amtrak.

The improvements will allow the service to meet projected increases in demand while reducing interference with freight rail traffic in southern Maine, according to the release. The Downeaster will also be able to add a sixth daily round trip between Brunswick and Wells.

The Downeaster currently runs five times a day to and from Boston. The train makes six Maine stops: Wells, Saco, Portland, Freeport and Brunswick, as well as a seasonal stop in Old Orchard Beach. The train has three Massachusetts stops and three in New Hampshire.

Ridership has steadily grown, and in 2019 hit an all-time high of 574,404 passengers. That was a 7.8% jump over the number who rode the Downeaster in 2018.

“In recent years, the Downeaster has set new records for both ridership and ticket revenue. It is an economic engine for Maine, providing good jobs, supporting Maine vendors of goods and services, and strengthening our tourism industry,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in the release.

“With this funding, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority will be able to make important improvements to this rail line in southern and midcoast Maine, increasing the corridor’s capacity and improving safety, efficiency, and reliability for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who use this service each year.”