(The Associated Press circulated the following story on July 24.)
PORTLAND, Maine — Rail officials took advantage of a shutdown in Amtrak’s Downeaster service prompted by security for the Democratic National Convention Saturday to begin weeklong track improvements.
Workers will use the shutdown of passenger rail service between Portland and Boston to complete a $900,000 track overhaul in Kennebunk intended to speed up the trip.
Trains had been forced to slow to 25 mph on that stretch of track, due to a weak clay foundation, said Patricia Douglas of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.
Scores of heavy trucks will be hauling away the clay and returning with sturdier fill, Douglas said.
When the Downeaster resumes service on Aug. 1, the train will shave 5 minutes off the leg between Portland and Old Orchard Beach because the train will be hitting a top speed of 79 mph for the first time, Douglas said.
Another 5 minutes will be shaved off the round trip when additional schedule changes are adopted on Nov. 1, reflecting the Kennebunk improvements, she said.
By fall 2005, the Downeaster will travel at 79 mph along a total of 30 miles, reducing the travel time between Portland and Boston to 2 1/2 hours, officials said. The full route now takes 2 hours, 45 minutes.
“There´s a lot of work being done and there are a lot of things coming together. It´s just not as easy as it appears. It´s a complicated process. There are different railroads involved,” she said.
With the Downeaster idle Saturday, Amtrak provided a train to participate in the ceremonial kickoff of a pilot project in which excursion trains will operate between Portland and Rockland this summer.
Trains departed from Rockland and Portland and met engine-to-engine in Brunswick for the ceremony. About 200 people, including Gov. John Baldacci, were on hand.
The Maine Eastern Railroad will operate the excursion trains for the Maine Lobster Festival, which runs Aug. 5 through Aug. 8, and weekend excursions through the foliage season in October.
The Northern New England Rail Authority is scrambling to put together a marketing campaign for the “Maine Lobster Festival Train.” The authority has sold 150 of the potential 880 tickets.