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February 26, 2010

Bus co.: Downeaster could hurt service

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Extending the Amtrak Downeaster to Brunswick could jeopardize bus service in the midcoast, leaders of the state's largest bus operation told transportations officials.

In a recent meeting with the Department of Transportation, Concord Coach Lines President Harry Blunt said the company will need financial help to remain competitive with the Downeaster, according to the Portland Press Herald. The Portland-to-Boston rail service last month received $35 million in federal stimulus money for an extension to Brunswick, expected to happen in 2012. Blunt told DOT officials that the Downeaster extension could steal passengers from Concord's bus service that runs from Bangor along the coast to Brunswick and then Portland, making the bus service uneconomical, according to the paper.

He also expressed frustration and the amount of subsidized funding the Downeaster receives from the state, and said the state "should be looking at more of a systems approach."

Transportation officials said they are working to integrate bus and train service and plan to "support the bus with the funds we have," Sue Moreau, the state's manager of multimodal planning, told the paper. Federal money is available to help preserve transportation service in underserved rural areas, for which Concord may qualify, she said.

Concord Coach Lines saw 410,333 passengers last year, while the Downeaster saw 460,202.

Go to the article from the Portland Press Herald >>

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