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Stimulus Funds Granted to NNEPRA for Downeaster Expansion to Freeport and Brunswick!
Written by TRN Webmaster
Thursday, 28 January 2010 05:57
The White House has announced that the Northern New England
Passenger Rail Authority will be receiving $35 million in stimulus
funding for the extension to Brunswick.
Excerpt from the White House press release: "Boston – Portland – Brunswick: Over 30 miles of track will be
restored, including 36 grade crossings, to extend new passenger rail
service from Portland to Brunswick, ME."
TrainRiders/Northeast, NNEPRA and federal, state and local officials celebrated the grant at the new Brunswick train station.
Patricia Quinn Reviews the Stimulus Award to NNEPRA
Written by TRN Webmaster
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 17:24
With the award of a federal $35 million grant to expand Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick, new questions have come to the fore: When will the Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick begin; what about expansion to Lewiston-Auburn; what about improvements to the Portland-Boston route?
Executive Director of NNEPRA, Patricia Quinn, provides an overview as to how the award was granted and what lies ahead. Go here.
Ms. Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA's Executive Director, delivered the Downeaster's Performance Report for the first half of FY2010.
The chart details ridership from July-December for the last three years. One outlier in the data was December of '09 which indicated an 18% increase in passenger load over the same period of 2008. That is a misleading figure because in December of '08 the service was down for a week due to a heavy ice storm that killed power to signals along the line.
New Hampshire’s request for $1.4 million to jump start a Concord-Nashua-Boston commuter rail system was not approved by the White House. An article on the decision is in the Nashua Telegraph.
Downeaster's 8th Anniversary Praised in NH's Union Leader Article
Written by TRN Webmaster
Sunday, 27 December 2009 05:26
Eight years and counting and by any measurement the Downeaster remains an unparalleled success story.
The Union Leader article features NNEPRA's Executive Director Patricia Quinn who provides ridership statistics, regional and state rail officials who confirm the value of the service to the NH communities along the line and riders who help keep the seats filled and the highways less crowded.
Chairman Wayne Davis added this comment: "Our Downeaster has proven that population density isn't the only
measure - frequent service and a travel market are critical. Today, 5
RT's up to 80MPH - tomorrow 8 RT's up to 110MPH. TNE continues to push
for more passenger rail in ME, NH & VT."
Check out the Union Leader's story on "America's Favorite Train."
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With the award of a federal $35 million grant to expand Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick, new questions have come to the fore: When will the Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick begin; what about expansion to Lewiston-Auburn; what about improvements to the Portland-Boston route?
New Hampshire’s request for $1.4 million to jump start a Concord-Nashua-Boston commuter rail system was not approved by the White House. An article on the decision is in the 
Eight years and counting and by any measurement the Downeaster remains an unparalleled success story.