amtrak downeaster

Published
August 17, 2016

Downeaster to boost Brunswick service by building new track

Adding a second set of tracks in the four-mile stretch through Falmouth and Cumberland will make it possible to run five daily round trips between Brunswick and Boston.
Published
August 4, 2016

Amtrak’s new locomotives sharply reduce engine-related delays

The new engines, built in California, are mostly used on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor with 'heartening' results.
Published
July 21, 2016

Legislative committee to review Amtrak Downeaster service

Preliminary research hasn't revealed any big problems, but the review will continue.
Published
June 8, 2016

Amtrak Downeaster extends pet travel policy

A pilot program begun in October becomes permanent.
Published
April 10, 2016

Letter to the editor: Downeaster service from Portland to Brunswick too costly for light use

There’s a clear difference in thinking between air and rail transportation planners. A 20-year master plan for Portland’s airport (March 9) “expects passenger volume to increase by nearly 40 percent by 2036,” noting that a “greater percentage of those passengers will be carried by larger airplanes” because of the cost-effectiveness of high-capacity vehicles. This is […]
Published
January 11, 2016

Amtrak’s Downeaster chugs into 2016 in timelier fashion

The rail service was clobbered by delays and disruptions that led to a 30 percent on-time performance in the last fiscal year, but in December, 86 percent of Downeaster trains arrived on time.
Published
December 11, 2015

Another View: Shift in federal budgeting puts rail service finances on the right track

Now Amtrak can use its Northeast Corridor profits to maintain those busy lines, not to prop up little-used routes.
Published
November 22, 2015

Another View: Critic of Downeaster spending overlooks decline in car culture

Demand for rail service is growing, and young people are choosing to live where they don't need vehicles.
Published
November 12, 2015

Maine Voices: Downeaster funding should be rerouted to much-needed road repairs

The sum spent on rail upgrades and extensions is irrational when factoring in low ridership numbers.