(The Associated Press circulated the following article on December 30.)
PORTLAND, Maine — No one knew whether Amtrak’s Downeaster would be a success when it departed Portland with its first passengers five years ago on a dark, rainy morning.
More than 1.4 million passengers later, the Downeaster is one of Amtrak’s most successful trains with ridership growing 31 percent in the last fiscal year.
“I don’t think that five years ago people thought it would be this successful,” said Patricia Douglas, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority marked the Downeaster’s fifth birthday on Dec. 15.
In the coming year, operators hope for further ridership gains once track upgrades are completed, allowing the train to make five daily runs.
Beginning in November, Amtrak began using buses for a fifth daily round trip between Portland and Boston. The train had four daily runs when it started.
Stops currently include Old Orchard Beach, Saco and Wells in Maine; Dover, Durham and Exeter in New Hampshire; and Haverhill and Woburn in Massachusetts. While successful, the Downeaster still relies on federal and state subsidies. This year, the federal government provided a $5.3 million grant, and the state provided $1.6 million.
The federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant expires in 18 months, and the Maine Legislature will be asked to make up the difference, Douglas said.