Amtrak Downeaster Discussion Thread

[gokeefe]

The notable statistic to compare would be where Amtrak is nationally in terms of ridership recovery or other state corridors.

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[BM1566GP7]

Friday 8/20, Downeaster #685 had cabbage #90224.

[CSRR573]

Theyve all been getting brake overhauls and other various machnical work at Southampton. As of tonight we have 3 in the shop

[markhb]

Did anyone make it to the NNEPRA board meeting today? I had had hopes to but life made other plans. I know a permanent Remote Participation Policy was on the agenda, plus I think they had planned to do a full set of project updates.

Edit: the draft Remote Participation Policy is here; I don't like that it proposes to limit remote participation to only those instances when at least one board member is participating remotely.

[markhb]

A couple of notes from today's board meeting:

• The Downeaster's 20 Anniversary celebration will be 12/15 and 9:30 Am at Wells. Following whatever remarks, etc. take place inside the station, the official groundbreaking will take place for the long-awaited station expansion project. They seem to be timing it so people north of WEM can take 982 to the event and return home on 981.
• No updates on the Portland station relocation, West Falmouth station, or Rockland projects, but they would hope to have something on the POR project at their January board meeting.
• No board meeting in December.
• They passed their annual audit.

[Maverickstation1]

December 15th 2021, marks the 20th Anniversary of The Downeaster.
The service is provided by the Northern New England Rail Passenger Authority with Amtrak has the contracted
operator.

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/pa ... 0/2591468/

Ken

[artman]

Rockland Branch Rail Bridges put out to bid:

From Maine DOT site: https://www.maine.gov/mdot/projects/advertise/schedule/

Rockland: Rockland 36.24 Rail Bridge (#7647) over Sewalls Creek and Rockland 50.49 Rail Bridge over Sheepscot River (#7653)
Waldeboro: Rockland Rail Bridge 65.91 (#7659) over Medomak River

[Arlington]

Great news on Rockland. Is the goal upping both weight and speed? Rockland is important because it is a place I-95 doesn't go.

[Pensyfan19]

Still waiting for Amtrak to restore service to Bangor... (and Van Buren with the Aroostock Flyer, and the Gull with connections to Halifax at Vanceboro).

[MEC407]

Bangor is still a long way off, but I think it'll happen a lot sooner with CSX in the picture.

[markhb]

Did anyone catch the NNEPRA board meeting yesterday? Was there anything interesting?

[theMainer]

https://knox.villagesoup.com/2022/01/25 ... brunswick/

ROCKLAND — A New York company has proposed offering daily passenger rail service from Rockland to the Brunswick station to connect with the Downeaster trains.

Finger Lakes Railway in Geneva, N.Y. proposed the plan to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority at its Monday, Jan. 24 monthly meeting.

George Betke of Damariscotta, a founder and director of Finger Lakes, said the company wants to offer roundtrips each day from Rockland to Brunswick. From May through October, the plan is to have two daily roundtrip trains on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The train would make stops in Newcastle, Damariscotta, Wiscasset and Bath, as well, Betke said. The rail executive said a stop in Waldoboro is also under consideration.

[swist]

And how is this different from the Maine Eastern service which didn't last more than a couple of years?

[artman]

And how is this different from the Maine Eastern service which didn't last more than a couple of years?

Entirely. Well, except that they are both trains and run on the same track

The Maine Eastern service ran for 11 years

Maine Eastern put in a bid for a contract renewal and lost that bid to CMQ

Maine Eastern did not use self-propelled rail cars

Maine Eastern did not coordinate connection to Downeaster in Brunswick

Maine Eastern ran trips every day for a few years, not just weekends. This proposed plan is designed like the Cape Flyer

There will be a stop in Waldeboro


I'm not sure of the point of your comment?

[MEC407]

And how is this different from the Maine Eastern service...

Maine Eastern operated full-fledged passenger trains with multiple coaches hauled by locomotives.

...which didn't last more than a couple of years?

It ran from 2005 to 2015.