NNEPRA February, 2019 Board Meeting
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- Written by TRN Webmaster TRN Webmaster
- Published: 25 February 2019 25 February 2019
The NNEPRA Board welcomed a new member, recently sworn in DOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note. Commissioner Van Note had previously served on the DOT for 27 years and before being nominated, was Director of Policy and Planning for the Maine Turnpike Authority.
Ridership: The Downeaster Performance Report was discussed. FY 2019 to date (through January) shows a 3% variance in ridership (Target 320,844, Actual 318,689).
Revenue: FY 2019 to date shows a 1% variance (Target: $5,946,191, Actual $5,976,845) Below is the NNEPRA spreadsheet.
OnTime Performance: In October of last year, OTP was a miserable 45%. In January of this year, it rose to 84%!
Customer Satisfaction: Overall CSI in December of 2018 showed the Downeaster with a 92 rating and Amtrak overall with at 91.
Rockland Expansion: There was discussion of the still-current proposal to provide weekend summer service to Rockland as a pilot program. More definitive information is expected soon.
California High-speed Train Construction Halted.
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- Written by TRN Webmaster TRN Webmaster
- Parent Category: Downeaster Downeaster
- Published: 13 February 2019 13 February 2019
California's high-speed train, approved by the voters in 2008, was to have connected Los Angeles and San Francisco. This week, however, the new governor brought the project to a halt concluding that it "would cost too much and take too long." Originally estimated to cost $33 billion, the uncompleted right-of-way has now ballooned to $77 billion and will take 13 additional years to complete.
It would have taken the bullet-train 2 hours and 40 minutes to travel the 520 miles between the two California cities at speeds approaching 220 mph. The Acela from Boston to Washington travels some 457 miles in 6 hours and 38 minutes, reaching a maximum speed of 165mph.
More information is available here.
NNEPRA January, 2019 Board Meeting
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- Written by TRN Webmaster TRN Webmaster
- Parent Category: NNEPRA NNEPRA
- Published: 29 January 2019 29 January 2019
Executive Director Patricia Quinn presented the latest Downeaster Performance Report summarizing the first two quarters of FY2019.
Ridership: Each of the six months showed uneven variations, but the bottom line on actual ridership revealed a small decrease from the targeted goal (-1% or 280,726 vs. 284,036). Ms. Quinn reported that ridership in January would likely exceed the targeted goal.
Revenue: The numbers exceeded slightly the projected farebox ($5,273,148 vs. $5,265,446).
North Station's New Pedestrian Tunnel Now Open
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- Published: 09 January 2019 09 January 2019
It's no longer necessary to walk outdoors (wind, rain, snow & angry traffic) to get to the Orange/Green Lines from North Station. A new underground connecting tunnel has been opened.
This means there's no need to fight foul weather while continuing your trip to South Station or local 'T' stops in Beantown. Progress takes time, but when it arrives, it's a miracle! Well done, Boston! More from the Boston Globe.
30th Annual Meeting of TrainRiders/Northeast
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- Written by TRN Webmaster TRN Webmaster
- Published: 25 November 2018 25 November 2018
On Friday, December 14th, TrainRiders/NE celebrated its 30th year of grassroots advocacy on behalf of passenger rail in the Northeast. Our pride and joy, the Amtrak Downeaster, marked its 17th year of serving Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Our Keynote Speaker was Eugene (Gene) Skoropowski, Senior Passenger Rail Consultant, TY Lin International, whose 40 years of railroading experience brought Florida's privately-funded passenger rail service to fruition.