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35 Million FRA Grant for Extension to Freeport and Brunswick

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35 Million FRA Grant for Extension to Freeport and Brunswick TRAIN RIDER THE NEWSLETTER OF TRAINRIDERS/NORTHEAST * * *** Dreams DO Come True! * * * Dreams DO Come True! The Obama administration has allocated $35 million in federal stimulus funds to expand our Downeaster passenger rail service north to Freeport and Brunswick with connections on to Rockland as part of its $8 billion Recovery Act grants for developing a nationwide system of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. The funding is enough to complete the expansion for Amtrak's Downeaster service, including laying welded rail and improving 36 grade crossings along the 30-mile route. In Brunswick, where the train station is already complete, the service will provide a much-needed economic boost, said Joanne King, chairwoman of the Brunswick Town Council. The train will make two or three round trips a day between Portland and Brunswick. "That is great news," she said. "It is vitally important to Brunswick. It's been talked about for close to 30 years." The project will mean more passengers for Maine Eastern Railroad, which operates a seasonal passenger train between Rockland and Brunswick. When the expansion is completed, people will be able to ride a train from Boston to Brunswick and then on to Rockland, with an immediate cross-platform connection. There has not been regular passenger rail service linking Rockland, Brunswick and Portland since April 4th of 1959. Maine US Representative Chellie Pingree said the project will create 200 jobs and work will start immediately. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority already has agreements in place with Amtrak to operate the expanded service and with the route's owner, Pan Am Railways, to do the track rehabilitation work. The Downeaster has proven to be one of Amtrak's best performers. In a joint statement, Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said the Downeaster has enjoyed steady increases in ridership since service began in 2001. Extending the service would give the Brunswick area, which is coping with the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station, "...a much-needed economic shot in the arm", they said. In a separate proposal, the rail authority is seeking $52 million for track improvements between Portland and Plaistow, NH as part of an effort to boost the speed of the Downeaster and make it possible to increase the number of daily round trips between Portland and Boston from five to seven. The proposal would shave 10 to 12 minutes off the trip, making the service more attractive and competitive. That proposal is still pending. The Downeaster would travel through Woodford's Corner in Portland, Cumberland Center, West Falmouth and Yarmouth Junction. It would stop in Freeport and Brunswick. At Yarmouth Junction, the railroad intersects with a mainline track operated by the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad. That track runs to Quebec via Lewiston, Auburn and Bethel. These improvements will be the first step towards eventually running passenger trains on that line to Montreal. Excerpted from the Portland Press Herald Volume 19, Number 3, Fall/Winter 2009/2010 ♦ Stephen R. Piper, Editor, e-mail: [email protected] TrainRiders/Northeast, Box 4869, Downtown Station, Portland, ME 04112-4869 ♦ (207) TRY-RAIL ♦ [email protected] ♦ www.trainridersne.org Chairman’s Update which serves an ongoing $100 and to Augusta. We’re looking for million investment in the Saco further expansion on the Our cover story is the most Island development), a total Downeaster corridor to include 6th exciting and long awaited news rehabilitation of the Durham/UNH and 7 th round trips that would we’ve had to share in quite some station to reopen the waiting room require double tracking and time. We all expected it was and reinvent the Dairy Bar strategic passing sidings. We coming and now it’s here. Finally! restaurant, new Quik-Trak hope that an investment of this For the next two years we will see machines that deliver faster and magnitude would qualify for High a true transformation take place more convenient ticketing options, Speed Rail stimulus funding and here in the northeast right before WiFi on every coach and at some would better solidify our our very eyes. We can’t express of our stations, future station passenger rail presence as a enough our appreciation for the stops already well established at viable and preferred trans- simply admirable job NNEPRA’s Freeport and Brunswick, portation alternative. We’re Executive Director, Patricia Quinn nationally recognized award- looking to regionalize our and her staff have done to make winning advertising deployments approach by coordinating with this a reality. in Boston, and most importantly neighboring states to better the established community of leverage the federal funding that We’ve celebrated our train’s 8th riders that’s unique to this train is available. Stay tuned! Anniversary! service. We'd like to acknowledge all of We all know our train is the best in Here’s what is happening: you who support us, especially the country. Why? Because we We want this momentum to our major benefactors, who have a great group of people who continue! Plans are underway to continue to make contributions to put their souls into making this construct an enclosed layover TNE so that we can continue service the best it can be. From facility in Portland so the doing business. It’s what keeps the NNEPRA Board and staff to maintenance and mechanical us ticking. the Amtrak supervisors, folks can finally work out of the - WD engineers, conductors, agents, elements, funding has been ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ police, food service, cleaning and secured to reconstruct the wye in TrainRiders Debuts a New maintenance staff, to the Portland to enable equipment Web Site Feb 1 dispatchers in Billerica, to the turns that are otherwise very State of Maine, to TrainRiders costly and cumbersome to do in Northeast and its train hosts and Boston, stimulus funding that has station hosts, to the cities and just been awarded to provide for towns in Maine, New Hampshire the reconstruction of the corridor and Massachusetts served by the to Freeport and Brunswick thus Downeaster – the commitment is enabling our next logical deep and in many cases personal. expansion and connection to the We take pride in our train and Maine Eastern Railroad, with over cherish it like it’s part of a large, half a million riders under its belt, appreciative family. Exeter has applied for funding to Here’s what has happened: expand their parking area and refurbish the existing Railway Looking back we can note some The digital age is upon us and Express building into a waiting very key milestones that have TrainRiders Northeast is rolling area with restroom facilities and been reached: Ridership hitting 1 out some very exciting new ways ticketing, and the Maine state million, 2 million and now ap- of doing business. congressional delegation contin- proaching its 3 millionth pass- ues to lobby Congress to make a Our Board member and enger, a fifth round trip that permanent change to CMAQ Webmaster Bill Lord has been started in 2007 as a result of language that would enable those working tirelessly to revamp our additional passing sidings funds to continue to be used for web site and turn it into a truly constructed on the corridor, (thank operational costs. remarkable interactive experi- you NH & MA) a brand new Saco ence. Starting Feb 1 it not only station that derives its heat and Here's what will happen: will display up to the minute news power from green geothermal TrainRiders will continue to push articles and have active hyperlinks technology and a wind turbine, for service to Lewiston/Auburn to other sites, but it will also allow Volume 19, Number 3, Fall/Winter 2009/2010 ♦ Stephen R. Piper, Editor, e-mail: [email protected] TrainRiders/Northeast, Box 4869, Downtown Station, Portland, ME 04112-4869 ♦ (207) TRY-RAIL ♦ [email protected] ♦ www.trainridersne.org train hosts to easily book, confirm participate in one or more of the the potential of extending or cancel their trips. following areas: passenger rail to Concord. This is all wonderful, but we know • Membership Not so fast. news travels faster now than what • Revenue Sourcing Peter Burling, former state is possible to distribute in a • Political Liaison senator and chairman of the New printed quarterly newsletter. • Media Response Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, Printing costs and postage • Public Relations continue to rise as well. What is still pushing for this service and • Public Events we'd like to do is make our he sees several potential options • Host website, www.trainridersne.org for making it happen. and e-mail our principal means of If you or someone you know During a recent infrastructure distributing the newsletter and would be interested, please summit hosted by the Greater getting other news and contact us by phone at Manchester Chamber of information out to our members. (207) TRY-RAIL Commerce, Burling said that the For this to be successful, it is ultimate goal is to extend high- imperative that we have your by e-mail at speed trains to Montreal. current e-mail address . We [email protected] promise not to distribute it to “It’s crucial for the development of or through our web site at anyone else without your our future. If we don’t make this permission. If you do not wish to www.trainridersne.org choice, the state of New York or cannot receive this information will,” he said. Burling explained electronically, we will still send the ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ that New York has a high-speed newsletter to you via US Mail. We rail corridor from New York City hope that electronic delivery of ↓ ↓ ↓ History for Sale ↓ ↓ ↓ up the Hudson River to Montreal.
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