The Downeaster has received a Federal Railroad Administration $17 million grant for service improvements in Wells, Berwick and Brunswick.

Wells will see an additional platform, accessed by a pedestrian bridge, as well as a six-mile extension to Berwick of the current two-mile passing track. This will alleviate the current bottleneck in Wells by allowing north and southbound trains to load/unload passengers simultaneously. 

In 2018, NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn provided TrainRiders/NE with an overview of the project.

A sixth roundtrip between Wells and Brunswick can then be added, creating the first such 'inside Maine' passenger rail service.

Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee in Washington, announced the grant in a press release. She noted that NNEPRA "will be able to make important improvements to this rail line in southern and midcoast Maine, increasing the corridor's capacity and improving safety, efficiency and reliability for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who use this service each year."