NNEPRA Board Meetings
Summaries of NNEPRA's monthly board meetings
NNEPRA June Board Meeting - Ridership/Revenue Growth and Kennebunk Stop Presentation
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- Created: 26 June 2018 26 June 2018
Ridership/Revenue: NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn reported on 11 months of FY2018. Ridership is already ahead of FY2017 by 37,013. It's now half a million! Revenue is $1,464,665 ahead of the same 11-month period in FY2017! No matter how you figure it, the Downeaster continues its solid growth. May on-time performance came in at a disappointing 68% while May Overall All Customer Satisfaction hit 90 (Amtrak's overall percentage was 78).
Fall Construction: This fall will see construction projects that will reduce expected ridership/revenue as some 15,000 ties will be replaced between Wells and Dover, necessitating busing between the two stations. In addition, there will be an extensive outage in Saco as bridge timbers across the Saco River are replaced along with the Main Street crossing.
Kennebunk Downeaster Stop: This month the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen voted, by a 6-0 tally, to officially request of NNEPRA a seasonal stop. This action has been four plus years in the making but was welcomed by the board as "serving more Mainers with passenger rail."
TrainRiders/NE talked with Ms. Quinn about the expected 2019 service (contracts still need to be written and signed). Three town officials, including the Interim Economic Development Director Jim Black, presented their modified proposal to the board.
No Amtrak Service to Rockland This Year
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- Created: 26 March 2018 26 March 2018
Rockland Extension: At today's NNEPRA Board Meeting in Portland, Executive Director Patricia Quinn informed those present that Amtrak is unable to perform the required risk-assessment of the Rockland branch this year due to the need to assess all their existing routes because of PTC and 'dark territory' issues. Brunswick to Rockland would be a new route.
Ms. Quinn pledged to work closely with Amtrak so that a "more robust" proposal for Midcoast service can be accomplished next year.
Planned Rockland Extension's Schedule Reduced Due to New Amtrak Safety Requirements - THIS IS NOW OUTDATED
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- Created: 26 February 2018 26 February 2018
Today's NNEPRA Board Meeting was expected to give the 'Go-ahead' for the summer Coastal Connection Service between Brunswick and Rockland. That did not happen. What was approved was a decision to move forward with an August weekend service, but with four important conditions:
1. An Amtrak-CMQ agreement being reached.
2. A positive MeDOT infrastructure report on the branch line
3. A trip no longer than two and a quarter hours.
4. The service must meet all Amtrak and FRA requirements
Several members of the public expressed their disappointment, particularly those along the midcoast.