The project to relocate Portland’s Amtrak Downeaster station from Thompson’s Point to St. John Street has received $48 million in federal funding.
Uncertainty remains, however, because this funding cannot be used to relocate the station elsewhere, and the City of Portland currently favors a plan that would make use of the former Union Station instead.
Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), which operates the Downeaster, said the group is “thrilled” by the award.
NNEPRA’s official website states that relocation is necessary “to reduce travel time, increase service frequency, expand passenger rail service and improve connectivity in the region.”
The train currently spends 15 minutes backtracking to the mainline, which officials have said is inefficient and costly and causes delays., according to the Portland Press Herald.
Because the St. John Street location would be on the mainline, this maneuver would no longer be necessary.
NNEPRA also estimated that travel time between Portland and Brunswick will be shortened from 50 minutes to 33 minutes.
Mayor Mark Dion said the city will likely hold a workshop in September to reach “some definitive consensus” on the project’s location, although he noted that he feels it is inevitable that it will ultimately be built at the St. John Street property.
“I’m confident we can still act as partners in realizing the vision for that site,” he said, according to the Portland Press Herald.
NNEPRA has conducted extensive site analysis for the St. John Street site. The Federal Railroad Administration has also approved this location.
The federal funding for this project is part of a broader $5 billion investment in rail projects nationwide, which comes the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority has agreed to provide a 20 percent non-federal match.
Sen. Susan Collins (R) and Sen. Angus King (I) celebrated the award in a joint statement Friday evening.
“The Downeaster is an essential transportation link for the people of Maine, connecting communities, supporting our economy, and providing a reliable alternative to getting in the car or boarding an airplane,” the senators said.
“Relocating Portland’s station to the mainline is a commonsense investment that will mean shorter trips, fewer delays, and better connections for passengers traveling throughout Maine and New England,” Sens. King and Collins said.
“We’re proud to have helped secure this federal funding to help move this long-awaited project forward and strengthen passenger rail service for generations to come,” the senators concluded.
I’m “thrilled” to comment that this is just anther waste of taxpayer money.
Time to raise the rates…