Two southbound Amtrak Downeaster trains were significantly delayed by a stuck freight train Tuesday morning.
Brian Beeler, the manager of passenger services for the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, said the freight train got stuck in Wells when operators attempted to pull onto a siding that had not yet been plowed.
That meant two Downeaster passenger trains couldn’t get past the freight train, Beeler said.
One train – number 680, which departed Portland at 5:20 a.m. – backed up to the Saco station, where passengers were put aboard a bus, Beeler said. The other delayed train – the 682, which left Brunswick at 7:05 a.m. – was able to get past the freight train and pulled into the Wells station about 10:40 a.m., Beeler said, That means the train is running about two hours late, he said.
Beeler said the fact that one train was able to get to the Wells station suggests that the freight train was eventually able to pull far enough off the main track and the problem won’t affect later trains, but he could not confirm that.
Calls seeking information from Amtrak, which operates the Downeaster trains, were not immediately returned Tuesday morning.
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