PORTLAND, Maine — Amtrak’s Downeaster rail service from Boston has boosted southern Maine businesses this summer, slightly helping to ease the effects of a stumbling economy, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Tens of thousands of visitors rode the rail into Maine for day trips and longer vacations, beating Amtrak’s expectations and bumping up area businesses along the line which otherwise had slow tourist seasons.
The success of the Downeaster may prove a feather in the cap for cash-strapped Amtrak, currently seeking a more than $1 billion bailout from Congress following a string of crises this year.
But state tourism officials and business owners project that, despite high ridership on the Downeaster, overall tourist revenue this summer may not have grown because of travelers’ concerns over the economy.
“What we’re hearing is that business this summer was basically flat,” said Steve Lyons of the Maine Office of Tourism. “Nobody’s saying it was terrible, but nobody’s saying it was fabulous, either.”
The Downeaster service was introduced in October 2001 amid much fanfare in the business community, which hoped it would bring in more tourism dollars by adding to the traditional summer vacationer influx from the Northeast corridor.
The business community wasn’t completely disappointed.
The service carried 194,304 people from its startup through July, far exceeding a projected ridership of 108,200 for that period, according to Amtrak. In July alone, the railway carried 29,683 people; it was projected to carry 27,200 for the month.
The Downeaster makes local stops in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, including in Wells, Saco and seasonally in Old Orchard Beach. Most business owners are pleased with the result.
“What we’re seeing is certainly no disappointment to Maine businesses,” said Vaughn Stinson, director of the Maine Tourism Association. “Anything that brings more people in and exposes people to Maine is very good for us. There’s a lot more demand for the rail than people thought there would be.”
Still, business owners and associations say southern Maine has not gotten enough of a boost to completely counter the effects of a slow economy and a fear of flying since last year that has cut the number of visitors from outside the region.
“Business has been slow this year due to the economy and I think due in part to 9/11,” said Sue Cox, who runs the Inn on Carleton on Portland’s West Side. “But the train has only helped business.”
Cox said she often gets weekend guests by train from Boston, many of whom consider the train ride a highlight of the trip.
“People have stopped through as a result of the train, but not enough,” said Mark Johnston, owner of Vic and Whits wine shop in Saco. “Most of the people who come through are from places like Buxton and Dayton, and they’re here to get on the train. This is a staging area for export.”
Maine’s so-so tourist season places it within a national trend.
Growth in U.S. travel during major summer holidays has been basically stagnant relative to last year, with only a slight increase in travel during the Independence Day holiday and a slight decrease expected during the Labor Day holiday, according to surveys by the Travel Industry Association of America.
While an unimpressive tourist season nears its end in southern Maine, businesses along the rail continue to offer resounding support for the Downeaster, saying business would be worse without it. The largest beneficiaries of the Downeaster have been the hotels and inns along the train’s route that provide the rail-riders with lodging, according to tourism officials.
“There are a number of properties that have benefited from the Downeaster service, particularly for overnight stays,” said James Harmon, executive director of the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Harmon said his members believe this year’s tourist season in Old Orchard Beach is very close to being as strong as last year’s.
The Downeaster started serving Old Orchard Beach in early July.
“The service has definitely been a plus,” said Ray Deleo, manager of the 10-room Atlantic Birches Inn in Old Orchard Beach. “We’ve had roughly 10 couples that said they got here by the train service and likely wouldn’t have made it otherwise because they don’t enjoy driving.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Downeaster arrived in Old Orchard Beach with roughly 30 passengers disembarking, most of them from Greater Boston.
“I used to come here as a boy, and now I’m thrilled that there’s a train service,” said Arthur Slate of Stoughton, Mass., who arrived with his wife, Fran, and his son, Gary. “This is my first time using this train, and my first time back in Old Orchard for many years.”
Another passenger, Jerry Friedman, said he and his family drove to Wells on the weekend but used the Downeaster to take a day trip to Old Orchard – a move that saved him the hassle of parking his car.
“I love trains because you can just sit back and relax,” he said.
While statistics on sales and travel in Maine are not yet available for July, economic indicators for June from the Maine Office of Tourism are mixed. Maine border crossings were down nearly 18 percent in June from the previous year to 350,194 crossings, while arrivals and departures from the Portland International Jetport declined nearly 9 percent to 118,500, the office said. Restaurant sales in June increased by slightly more than 2 percent, while lodging revenue fell roughly 2.5 percent, the office said.
June’s year-to-date restaurant sales were up nearly 6 percent and lodging revenues for the same period were up 2 percent, the office said.
“It’s tough to say how the summer has been with any certainty until all the figures come through,” said Lyons.
July figures are expected by mid-September.