Rail Passenger Station Site Proposed in Maine
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Amtrak Downeaster
Courtesy of MBTafan2011 via Wikimedia Commons
PORTLAND, Maine – A new rail passenger station has been proposed in Portland, Maine and would serve as a future stop for the Amtrak Downeaster.
According to a report from Press Herald, the site is across from the Metro headquarters an connects to the Northern Light Mercy Hospital Fore River Campus. The site would subsequently eliminate 20 train movements daily and “shave 15 minutes off Amtrak Downeaster’s northbound and southbound trips – time now spent moving the train on and off a branch of the CSX main line.”
On August 13th, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority held a virtual public meeting to present the site and the project’s goals. Through August 27th, the authority is seeking public input on the plans. The site was chosen in June from three possible sites by the Rail Authority’s board of directors and would allow the train “to remain on the mainline.” A public comment submission form has been made available on the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority’s website.
The presentation can be found below:
Executive director of the authority told the Press Herald that the site “provides the most opportunity and flexibility for train operations. . . It also really maximizes connectivity for rail access and mobility.”
