Watch CBS News

Downeaster Line Readying For Expanded Service Between Boston & Maine

FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) — Passenger rail service between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, is expected to expand by the end of this year with the completion of a critical rail project.

Amtrak's Downeaster expects to make five round trips per day on its entire line as soon as it finishes the $9.4 million construction of a secondary passing rail line in Falmouth and Cumberland. The Portland Press Herald reports siding would allow service to flow better.

Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority Executive Director Patricia Quinn says Royal Junction Siding has been planned at least since the Downeaster's expansion to Brunswick six years ago.

Officials say the Downeaster line is popular in Brunswick and nearby communities that don't have a public transit link to Portland and Boston.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.