am11-1

Our 23rd Annual Meeting was, like the Downeaster's nearly 10 years of service, a great success!

Held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, members, friends and invited guests celebrated the continued growth of the Downeaster and Amtrak.

Our keynote speaker was Joseph McHugh, Amtrak’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, who brought us up to date on the Obama Administration’s plans for Amtrak including new locomotives/passenger cars and the nationwide Museum Train Tour to celebrate Amtrak’s 40th Anniversary - it will stop in Freeport.

NNEPRA Executive Director, Patricia Quinn, detailed the Downeaster's positive numbers - ridership, revenue, passenger miles traveled and the countdown to expanded service to Freeport and Brunswick.

A video was shown, introduced by PanAm's President David Fink, detailing the work along the Portland to Brunswick line.

   

Awards were presented to:

  • David Fink, President of PANAM - "To David Fink and all of the people at Pan Am Railways"
    Ken Stimson, Gen. Mgr. of DRUMMAC (the Downeaster mainetance crew) - "To Ken Stimson and all the folks at DRUMMAC"
    Richard Talbot, long time TNE member and office volunteer
    Plaques for retiring board members Robert Kahn and Marybeth Burbank.

Among the honored guests were MDOT Commissioner of Transportation David Bernhardt, Morristown & Erie RR President and CEO Wes Wies, owner of the Maine Eastern RR, David Fink, President of PanAm Railways, Patricia Quinn and members of the NNEPRA board of directors and staff, The video was produced by TRN Board Member Bill Lord, who also received a plaque of appreciation.{jcomments on}