FREEPORT – With the announcement that Amtrak’s Downeaster service to Freeport will be chugging into the station on Nov. 1, the town is anticipating the economic shot in the arm that many think the train will bring.

“We’re so excited about (the Downeaster’s arrival),” said Janet Dutson, the executive director of FreeportUSA, the local merchants’ group. “Because they (Amtrak) are going to be putting $65,000 (in advertising) in the greater Boston metro area about the train trip to Freeport. So that is going to get a bunch of people on board.”

“They’ll be plenty of promotions from Amtrak and the community itself trying to increase the ridership and bring some more folks in,” said Debora King, the executive director of the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce.

Dutson said she believed that the impact to Freeport from the marketing for the train could stretch even beyond passengers.

“In addition, it’s just going to spread awareness about Freeport,” she said. “So even the people who aren’t going to get on the train and come up here are going to think about Freeport and they might decide to come up on their own.”

Last week, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which operates the Downeaster, confirmed that the train service would kick off at the beginning of November, with two-round trips between Brunswick and Boston each day. The train makes five round trips between Boston and Portland daily, and two of those trips will be extended to Freeport and Brunswick. Passengers can begin making reservations Oct. 1.

According to a release from the rail authority, the schedule was developed to provide day-trip options for both southbound and northbound travelers.

Southbound travelers will be able to depart Brunswick at 7:05 a.m. daily (7:20 a.m. in Freeport), arriving in Boston at 10:30 a.m., then catch a northbound train at 5 p.m. on weekdays returning to Freeport at 8:05 p.m. and Brunswick at 8:25 p.m.

Northbound travelers can depart Boston at 9:05 a.m. on weekdays, arriving in Freeport at 12:10 p.m. and Brunswick at 12:25 p.m., then catch a 6:05 p.m. southbound train from Freeport, returning to Boston at 9:15 p.m.

Weekend and holiday schedules will vary slightly, though there will still be two trips from Brunswick and Freeport on those days. Exact fares were not immediately available, but the authority said one-way fares between Brunswick and Boston will be less than $30 per person. Multi-ride passes will also be available.

Dutson said she was excited about the schedule and the amount of time it would allow people on day trips to spend in town.

“I think that’s fabulous,” said Dutson. “That’s going to give (Downeaster passengers) a chance to eat lunch here or an early dinner and get tons of shopping in as well. That’s a good amount of time for people to be here even if they don’t spend the night.”

One person that is hoping for train passengers to spend the night in town is Joshua Cushing, the general manager of the Freeport Hilton Garden Inn, which is the closest downtown hotel to the train station.

“We definitely are excited the train is coming,” Cushing said. “Certainly it’s traveling from an area (Boston) where we get a lot of travel from already, so hopefully it will open up more from that market. That’s what we hope for.”

The train platform on Depot Street is completed and there are signs showing the stops on the entire Downeaster line, as well as banners touting the beginning of the service.

Additionally, work is ongoing to renovate the lighthouse-shaped building on Depot Street to use as a train station.

On July 10, the Freeport Town Council voted unanimously to enter into a 10-year lease with L.L. Bean for the building. The town will pay a rent of $1 per year for the building, but as part of the lease, must forgive the approximately $1,200 in annual property taxes.

L.L. Bean is paying for the initial cost of renovating the bottom part of building, which is used for public restrooms and a small information center, and the town has agreed to reimburse the company up to $50,000 for the renovations through the course of the lease.

And that station looks like it could become a busy place come November.

According to rail authority, the Downeaster has experienced strong ridership for the past seven years, and has seen passenger numbers more than double since 2005, exceeding 528,000 riders this year. Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick is expected to generate more than 30,000 new riders annually.

Those are numbers that make Dutson very optimistic about the impact of the train on downtown Freeport.

“There’s no downside on this one,” she said. “These are people that are going to be walking around in the area who are coming to Freeport to go shopping.”

The train platform on Freeport’s Main Street is all ready for passengers. The platform will be put to use when the Amtrak Downeaster rolls into town starting on Nov. 1.