Oops! Newspaper Article Ignores TrainRiders/NE's Pivotal Role in the Creation of the Downeaster. Our President was Quick to Educate the Writer
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- Created: 09 October 2024 09 October 2024
Photo: Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald file
We're always pleased when the Downeaster shows up in the media. Such was the case when the Portland Sunday Telegram recently published an extensive article on the underground North/South Rail Link, connecting North and South Stations. A recent Harvard University study resurrected the long-delayed proposal, citing economic, environmental and passenger train efficiency benefits.
What caught the sharp eye of TrainRiders' president, F. Bruce Sleeper, was a single sentence. Here is Mr. Sleeper's letter of clarification to the writer, Steve Collins.
"I have just had the chance to read your 10/6/2024 Maine Sunday Telegram article on the North/South Rail Link in Boston. With one exception, I found it to be an interesting and timely discussion of the Link, a project that TrainRiders has supported for many, many years. I would, however, take exception to the following statement made in the article:
Though the connection between the two stations never got approval –President Ronald Reagan thought it was too costly – the effort ultimately led to creation of the Amtrak Downeaster that restored passenger rail service to Maine for the first time since 1965.
It was not the Link effort that led to the creation of the Downeaster; it was TrainRiders. In 1990 we formed a political action committee, RailVision, to obtain signatures of registered Maine voters on a petition asking the Maine legislature to enact citizen-initiated legislation requiring the Maine Department of Transportation to reinitiate passenger rail service between Maine and Boston. Ultimately, we gathered almost 90,000 signatures, far more than the approximately 52,000 required by Maine’s Constitution for such a petition. In 1991, the Maine legislature passed that legislation (the “Passenger Rail Services Act”) and it was signed into law by Governor McKernan, becoming the first citizen-initiated bill passed by the legislature without first being presented to the people of Maine for a vote. All of this occurred independently of efforts by many, including TrainRiders and, most especially, John Businger in Massachusetts to move forward with the Rail Link in Boston.
TrainRiders worked long and hard to obtain the Downeaster service, and we continue to support it to this day. In 1995, we worked with MDOT to modify the Act to, among other things, provide for the creation of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (“NNEPRA”) to manage the then anticipated service for the State of Maine (I personally served on NNEPRA’s inaugural board in my then-capacity as legal counsel to TrainRiders). The service commenced in December 2001 with on-board volunteer hosts provided by TrainRiders, a program that continued through the onset of COVID. We continue to this day to provide hosts at several of the stations along the line. We also worked to obtain the extension of the service from Portland N=north to Brunswick in 2012.
Too many people today take the Downeaster for granted, assuming, it seems, that the service dropped out of the sky one day. Clearly, you did not make that mistake, for which we are grateful. I hope that my provision of this information will, however, allow you to have a more complete picture of what actually led to the creation of the Downeaster."
TrainRiders continues to work with NNEPRA, MDOT, State Legislators and our Washington Delegation on behalf of today's ridership. Our goal is to improve and expand "America's Favorite Train." Won't you join us?
TrainRiders/Northeast - Changing the Way New England Travels.
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The full artical by Steve Collins: https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/05/boston-eyes-8-billion-rail-plan-that-would-benefit-maine/
TrainRiders/NE Endorses NNEPRA's Proposed Portland Station Move to the Mainline, but with Important Concerns
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- Created: 28 August 2024 28 August 2024
The NNEPRA proposal to move the Portland Station from the Transportation Center to the mainline has received multiple public comments. Saving running time for passengers, crew, and equipment and significant annual cost savings (estimated at nearly $1 million) are accepted reasons to update the awkward move back and forth on the Mountain Division spur.
TRNE President F. Bruce Sleeper has entered public comments on behalf of our board, members, and train riders in general. In summary:
TRNE "heartily supports" the selection of site 3. "It presents the fewest operational difficulties" and accomplishes the NNEPRA goals of reducing the running time between Brunswick and Boston as well as significant cost savings.
TRNE has concerns about certain elements of the Site 3 proposal.
- The proposed station's passenger capacity appears "far too small" to handle the growing Downeaster ridership trend. Amtrak's guidance for station size calls for significantly greater square footage for waiting passengers.
- The parking area, which would accommodate105 vehicles, is too small. "The station should include at least 200 parking spots and probably even more, preferably on-site." In addition, the parking area's configuration could leave some passengers some 500 feet from the station...not an attractive condition during the winter.
- These concerns are buttressed by statistics, experience at Amtrak and Downeaster stations, as well as Amtrak guidance.
Mr. Sleeper's comments to NNEPRA concludes, "TRNE appreciates all of the work that has, thus far, gone into this project and hopes that its comments are helpful and will be given the consideration that they deserve. TRNE understands that the only issue now at hand is whether Site 3 is the appropriate location for the new station. As stated above, TRNE firmly supports that site for the new station, and it makes its additional comments only to ensure that the issues those comments address become part of the ongoing process for the construction of that station." Full TRNE comments to NNEPRA
TrainRiders/Northeast - Changing the Way New England Travels.
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NNEPRA Settles on Site for New Portland Station
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- Created: 22 August 2024 22 August 2024
This article provides additional details on NNEPRA's decision to move its Portland Station from the Transportation Center to the mainline. Three possible relocation sites were analyzed, and NNEPRA decided on a St. John Street location opposite the Metro bus headquarters.
https://www.nnepra.com/project/portland-station-relocation/
The new location would 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 to reach the existing station at the Portland Transportation Center at Thompson's Point.