Service to Freeport and Brunswick ME to start Nov 1

[TimePeace]

I think trains in general are a tough sell to anyone who owns a reliable car and is looking for the fastest way to get someplace.

There's some truth to this, but most folks don't just consider speed when deciding what mode of transportation to use.

Guess I am thinking more locally, and of people I know. Most of them wouldn't consider taking the train to Boston.

And yet more than a half-million people rode the Downeaster in the last fiscal year, spending more than $7 million

on tickets. (Granted, not all of them traveled the entire length of the corridor.) So despite your admittedly anecdotal

observations, some people don't consider the travel times to be a deterrent.

We are in complete agreement.

Although the Downeaster does very well, still the average person you meet is not really aware the service exists - and if they are, they do not consider it a viable transportation option, but rather a pleasant day excursion. I am two hours North of Portland, and a great many people live north of me. To them, a two hour plus drive and then a train to Boston might just as well be a 4 hour drive.

I hope I didn't come across as not liking the Downeaster. I was meaning to say, nobody takes it because it is fast. They take it because they like it. And the same for most trains, except Acela and other Northeast Corridor trains which as was said, are often much faster than driving. This may be true of some California Corridor trains as well, I don't know. My original statement was referring to Americans in general, not just those living and traveling in urban corridors.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I think trains in general are a tough sell to anyone who owns a reliable car and is looking for the fastest way to get someplace.

There's some truth to this, but most folks don't just consider speed when deciding what mode of transportation to use.

Guess I am thinking more locally, and of people I know. Most of them wouldn't consider taking the train to Boston.

And yet more than a half-million people rode the Downeaster in the last fiscal year, spending more than $7 million

on tickets. (Granted, not all of them traveled the entire length of the corridor.) So despite your admittedly anecdotal

observations, some people don't consider the travel times to be a deterrent.

We are in complete agreement.

Although the Downeaster does very well, still the average person you meet is not really aware the service exists - and if they are, they do not consider it a viable transportation option, but rather a pleasant day excursion. I am two hours North of Portland, and a great many people live north of me. To them, a two hour plus drive and then a train to Boston might just as well be a 4 hour drive.

I hope I didn't come across as not liking the Downeaster. I was meaning to say, nobody takes it because it is fast. They take it because they like it. And the same for most trains, except Acela and other Northeast Corridor trains which as was said, are often much faster than driving. This may be true of some California Corridor trains as well, I don't know. My original statement was referring to Americans in general, not just those living and traveling in urban corridors.

You know, the B&A had pax service far north of Portland, but it was slow and was eventually cancelled and replaced with buses. Now at least the buses should come back!

 

[amamba]

I think trains in general are a tough sell to anyone who owns a reliable car and is looking for the fastest way to get someplace.

There's some truth to this, but most folks don't just consider speed when deciding what mode of transportation to use.

Guess I am thinking more locally, and of people I know. Most of them wouldn't consider taking the train to Boston.

And yet more than a half-million people rode the Downeaster in the last fiscal year, spending more than $7 million

on tickets. (Granted, not all of them traveled the entire length of the corridor.) So despite your admittedly anecdotal

observations, some people don't consider the travel times to be a deterrent.

We are in complete agreement.

Although the Downeaster does very well, still the average person you meet is not really aware the service exists - and if they are, they do not consider it a viable transportation option, but rather a pleasant day excursion. I am two hours North of Portland, and a great many people live north of me. To them, a two hour plus drive and then a train to Boston might just as well be a 4 hour drive.

I hope I didn't come across as not liking the Downeaster. I was meaning to say, nobody takes it because it is fast. They take it because they like it. And the same for most trains, except Acela and other Northeast Corridor trains which as was said, are often much faster than driving. This may be true of some California Corridor trains as well, I don't know. My original statement was referring to Americans in general, not just those living and traveling in urban corridors.

So let's crunch the numbers. How many pax took the acela last year? How many pax took the NEC regional last year?

What percentage of pax on the acela and NEC trains are amtrak passengers as a whole?

I think many people take acela because it is faster than driving or the train. That is why the service exists!

That being said, I am going to Brunswick tomorrow. I am super excited!!! I love Brunswick, I went to college there. i will go to Brunswick at least three times in the next six months. But I will take amtrak 0 out of the 3 times because a) the travel time from BON is too long and b) it is too annoying to switch in Boston.

I might take amtrak in the spring - we will see. But doubling the travel time over driving is a huge negative for me.

 

[Anderson]

I got a link to a rather insightful story about a possible problem with the extension:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/14/1131976/-Amtrak-Downeaster-Fiasco-in-the-Making

tl;dr: Moving one of the NB trains from 5:40 PM to 6:45 PM is likely to overload the 5:00 PM train with currently-flexible commuters grabbing the earlier train rather than waiting.

If I had to guess, they may need to seriously look at a sixth frequency to fill in this particular gap (Horizons, anyone?).

 

[amamba]

I am in Brunswick right now. The station looks really nice and there is great signage. I have actually been planning this weekend for months as I am attending an alumni event at the college in town.

I drove here from Providence and it only took me three hours this afternoon.

To take the train here from Providence would take 40 minute PVD - BBY, then a self connection on the orange line to BON, and then 3.5 hours on the downeaster. So that's a minimum of four hours on the train, plus time on the orange line to make the connection. It would probably take a minimum of five hours for me.

Again, I am THRILLED that this service exists. Heck, they were talking about this service when I looked at coming to college up here - in the 1990s. But I still think they need to work on improving the speed of the service.

For anyone that DOES want to plan a trip up here, I am staying at the Inn at Brunswick Station. It is really nice and I highly recommend it. I wish I had time to take the Maine Eastern Railroad up to Rockland, but unfortunately if one wants to go roundtrip from Brunswick you have to leave at 10:30 and I am busy until about 1 pm tomorrow.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Is there bus service into Brunswick? That could add up the odds against Amtrak.

Also, about that article, dosen't the Downeaster have reserved seating? Of course Amtrak is not prepared for ridership increases, tis is not just with the Downeaster, it's across the whole system even to the longest LDs. Too much demand, too little capacity. They're not going to add more cars 'cause they don't have more cars.

 

[railiner]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

 

[shelzp]

I usually take a little shopping trip to Freeport when I'm in Massasachusetts, NH or Maine and will be happy to take the train because I find the parking there really difficult. One time I went into the police station and asked them where to park. But I agree that the Boston self-transfer is irritating and will stop folks from using the service. Then they'll get up there and start wishing they had walked to LL Bean from the station instead of having to follow an exiting shopper to their car only to get cut off by someone else doing the same thing. I'm going to Boston and on to northern Maine on the 30th of this month so I'm gonna miss out this time but I'll catch it the next time through there.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

Yeah, now we're talking! I wish VIA could restart that service as well, they could but it's owned by a US company. It would be much faster than the Ocean.

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

There's a pretty good chance that VIA's Ocean is going to be rerouted to CN's freight line between Moncton NB and St Andre, Que. This line hugs the US border in northern Maine. Van Buren which once was the terminus for a thru sleeper from Boston on the Bangor & Aroostook RR would be about a half mile from a possible stop for the Ocean in St Leonard and Edmundston is just across the bridge from Madawaska, Maine. The Cyr Bus serving the route from Bangor to Caribou is about 20 miles from another possible Ocean stop in Grand Falls.

This line is so close to the border.....the bottom of the track embankment at Estcourt IS the US/CAN Border.

Estcourt Map

 

[railiner]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

Yeah, now we're talking! I wish VIA could restart that service as well, they could but it's owned by a US company. It would be much faster than the Ocean.

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

Used to ride the thru GL-BAR pool bus years ago from the Port Authority all the way to Fort Kent, Me., at the north end of US 1. From Madawaska, we went into Edmundston, made a stop there, and back to Madawaska enroute. A customs officer rode back and forth from the border checkpoint, and thru passengers weren't even bothered.

I doubt that would occur nowadays...

Back then, (late 60's), Greyhound ran two all year locals on US 1 and 2 to the Calais/St. Stephen border. In the summer, they ran an express up Maine 9 that continued in pool service all the way to Halifax operated by SMT Eastern Limited and Acadian Lines.

I agree that it would be nice to see the Atlantic Limited return and restore service to Saint John, but considering the finances of VIA, not likely...

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

Yeah, now we're talking! I wish VIA could restart that service as well, they could but it's owned by a US company. It would be much faster than the Ocean.

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

Used to ride the thru GL-BAR pool bus years ago from the Port Authority all the way to Fort Kent, Me., at the north end of US 1. From Madawaska, we went into Edmundston, made a stop there, and back to Madawaska enroute. A customs officer rode back and forth from the border checkpoint, and thru passengers weren't even bothered.

I doubt that would occur nowadays...

Back then, (late 60's), Greyhound ran two all year locals on US 1 and 2 to the Calais/St. Stephen border. In the summer, they ran an express up Maine 9 that continued in pool service all the way to Halifax operated by SMT Eastern Limited and Acadian Lines.

I agree that it would be nice to see the Atlantic Limited return and restore service to Saint John, but considering the finances of VIA, not likely...

Ah, would love to at least get the bus back. What bus did they use back then? Was it a Greyhound or B&A bus?

 

[lo2e]

I usually take a little shopping trip to Freeport when I'm in Massasachusetts, NH or Maine and will be happy to take the train because I find the parking there really difficult. One time I went into the police station and asked them where to park. But I agree that the Boston self-transfer is irritating and will stop folks from using the service. Then they'll get up there and start wishing they had walked to LL Bean from the station instead of having to follow an exiting shopper to their car only to get cut off by someone else doing the same thing. I'm going to Boston and on to northern Maine on the 30th of this month so I'm gonna miss out this time but I'll catch it the next time through there.

Have you been to Freeport since they built the parking garage? It makes parking SO much easier than it was before, I have NEVER had trouble finding a parking spot in it, and it's free! Of course if you take the Downeaster, you won't have to worry about parking, but just an FYI that things may have changed since the last time you were in town.

 

[railiner]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

Yeah, now we're talking! I wish VIA could restart that service as well, they could but it's owned by a US company. It would be much faster than the Ocean.

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

Used to ride the thru GL-BAR pool bus years ago from the Port Authority all the way to Fort Kent, Me., at the north end of US 1. From Madawaska, we went into Edmundston, made a stop there, and back to Madawaska enroute. A customs officer rode back and forth from the border checkpoint, and thru passengers weren't even bothered.

I doubt that would occur nowadays...

Back then, (late 60's), Greyhound ran two all year locals on US 1 and 2 to the Calais/St. Stephen border. In the summer, they ran an express up Maine 9 that continued in pool service all the way to Halifax operated by SMT Eastern Limited and Acadian Lines.

I agree that it would be nice to see the Atlantic Limited return and restore service to Saint John, but considering the finances of VIA, not likely...

Ah, would love to at least get the bus back. What bus did they use back then? Was it a Greyhound or B&A bus?

They used both....alternate trips either a GL or BAR GMC PD4107. It was neat seeing the BAR buses in NYC. They had a nice plug for home: "See Scenic Northern Maine" painted on them....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

Yeah, now we're talking! I wish VIA could restart that service as well, they could but it's owned by a US company. It would be much faster than the Ocean.

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

Used to ride the thru GL-BAR pool bus years ago from the Port Authority all the way to Fort Kent, Me., at the north end of US 1. From Madawaska, we went into Edmundston, made a stop there, and back to Madawaska enroute. A customs officer rode back and forth from the border checkpoint, and thru passengers weren't even bothered.

I doubt that would occur nowadays...

Back then, (late 60's), Greyhound ran two all year locals on US 1 and 2 to the Calais/St. Stephen border. In the summer, they ran an express up Maine 9 that continued in pool service all the way to Halifax operated by SMT Eastern Limited and Acadian Lines.

I agree that it would be nice to see the Atlantic Limited return and restore service to Saint John, but considering the finances of VIA, not likely...

Ah, would love to at least get the bus back. What bus did they use back then? Was it a Greyhound or B&A bus?

They used both....alternate trips either a GL or BAR GMC PD4107. It was neat seeing the BAR buses in NYC. They had a nice plug for home: "See Scenic Northern Maine" painted on them....

This bus, eh? http://www.norcalbusfans.fotki.com/maine/bangor-and-aroostook/bangor-and-aroostoo.html

I agree that they're great but I liked the PD-4501 better, it had a cleaner, sleeker look. Later on Greyhound had so many buses branded Scenicruiser that the 4501 kinda lost it's identity. Though the 4107 was still nice.

 

[railiner]

Now, on to Bangor. At least Concord coach and Cyr give good bus service to the state.

Why stop at Bangor?

On to Mattawamkeag, and then the route of the former 'Atlantic Limited' to the Maritimes!

And since Greyhound Lines exited the market years ago, there is extremely limited bus service from Bangor to the Maritimes nowadays....

Yeah, now we're talking! I wish VIA could restart that service as well, they could but it's owned by a US company. It would be much faster than the Ocean.

It looks like Cyr already operates bus service up to Caribou, I hope they can get it back up to Van Buren, maybe even Edmundston across the border. It was apparently taken over from B&A in 1984, but I have no idea what their fleet has.

Used to ride the thru GL-BAR pool bus years ago from the Port Authority all the way to Fort Kent, Me., at the north end of US 1. From Madawaska, we went into Edmundston, made a stop there, and back to Madawaska enroute. A customs officer rode back and forth from the border checkpoint, and thru passengers weren't even bothered.

I doubt that would occur nowadays...

Back then, (late 60's), Greyhound ran two all year locals on US 1 and 2 to the Calais/St. Stephen border. In the summer, they ran an express up Maine 9 that continued in pool service all the way to Halifax operated by SMT Eastern Limited and Acadian Lines.

I agree that it would be nice to see the Atlantic Limited return and restore service to Saint John, but considering the finances of VIA, not likely...

Ah, would love to at least get the bus back. What bus did they use back then? Was it a Greyhound or B&A bus?

They used both....alternate trips either a GL or BAR GMC PD4107. It was neat seeing the BAR buses in NYC. They had a nice plug for home: "See Scenic Northern Maine" painted on them....

This bus, eh? http://www.norcalbusfans.fotki.com/maine/bangor-and-aroostook/bangor-and-aroostoo.html

I agree that they're great but I liked the PD-4501 better, it had a cleaner, sleeker look. Later on Greyhound had so many buses branded Scenicruiser that the 4501 kinda lost it's identity. Though the 4107 was still nice.

That looks like a PD4903 or 4905, but yes....that looks like a later version of what I remember. PD4501's were never used on that run. When BAR contributed those to the pool, Greyhound reciprocated with MC-7's....

 

[shelzp]

I usually take a little shopping trip to Freeport when I'm in Massasachusetts, NH or Maine and will be happy to take the train because I find the parking there really difficult. One time I went into the police station and asked them where to park. But I agree that the Boston self-transfer is irritating and will stop folks from using the service. Then they'll get up there and start wishing they had walked to LL Bean from the station instead of having to follow an exiting shopper to their car only to get cut off by someone else doing the same thing. I'm going to Boston and on to northern Maine on the 30th of this month so I'm gonna miss out this time but I'll catch it the next time through there.

Have you been to Freeport since they built the parking garage? It makes parking SO much easier than it was before, I have NEVER had trouble finding a parking spot in it, and it's free! Of course if you take the Downeaster, you won't have to worry about parking, but just an FYI that things may have changed since the last time you were in town.

Thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out in a couple of weeks-I was there about ten months back and didn't see a parking garage but will look it up to see where it is ahead of time.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Speaking of connections to the Maritimes……

For awhile in the mid 2000's you could depart Boston on the first Downeaster in the morning, arrive in Portland in time to catch the "Cat" highspeed ferry and be in Yarmouth, NS. for supper. It was discontinued in 2009 but there is an effort underway to bring back a Cruise type ferry on this route and the big European ferry operator P&O is interested……might have Downeaster connections to the Maritimes again in 2014.

 

Ferry LInk

 

[lo2e]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out in a couple of weeks-I was there about ten months back and didn't see a parking garage but will look it up to see where it is ahead of time.

Ah - It's across Route 1 from the flagship LLBean store, and it's actually a parking garage with outlet shops on the top floor (the LLBean outlet is there now). You enter either from the south side for the second level or the east side for the bottom level. There is still parking behind LLBean, but it remains tough to get around and find parking back there.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Used to ride the thru GL-BAR pool bus years ago from the Port Authority all the way to Fort Kent, Me., at the north end of US 1. From Madawaska, we went into Edmundston, made a stop there, and back to Madawaska enroute. A customs officer rode back and forth from the border checkpoint, and thru passengers weren't even bothered.

I doubt that would occur nowadays...

Back then, (late 60's), Greyhound ran two all year locals on US 1 and 2 to the Calais/St. Stephen border. In the summer, they ran an express up Maine 9 that continued in pool service all the way to Halifax operated by SMT Eastern Limited and Acadian Lines.

I agree that it would be nice to see the Atlantic Limited return and restore service to Saint John, but considering the finances of VIA, not likely...

Ah, would love to at least get the bus back. What bus did they use back then? Was it a Greyhound or B&A bus?

They used both....alternate trips either a GL or BAR GMC PD4107. It was neat seeing the BAR buses in NYC. They had a nice plug for home: "See Scenic Northern Maine" painted on them....

This bus, eh? http://www.norcalbus...d-aroostoo.html

I agree that they're great but I liked the PD-4501 better, it had a cleaner, sleeker look. Later on Greyhound had so many buses branded Scenicruiser that the 4501 kinda lost it's identity. Though the 4107 was still nice.

That looks like a PD4903 or 4905, but yes....that looks like a later version of what I remember. PD4501's were never used on that run. When BAR contributed those to the pool, Greyhound reciprocated with MC-7's....

Oh, well those buses were before my time so I'm not the best at identifying them. Though the MC-7 was right about on my time, MC-8 mostly. Can't believe that a small company like B&A had so many bus types!

 

[user 1215]

Looking at Google maps, they've already got a marker in place on the map view, and the street view shows a nice new station being built (don't know how old the photo is, but knowing Google, this station could have been done for six months or longer!).

 

[amamba]

Looking at Google maps, they've already got a marker in place on the map view, and the street view shows a nice new station being built (don't know how old the photo is, but knowing Google, this station could have been done for six months or longer!).

The stations in Brunswick and Freeport are complete and ready to go.

 

[TimePeace]

Anyone know what the parking situation is in Brunswick? Long term?

 

[amamba]

Anyone know what the parking situation is in Brunswick? Long term?

I wonder if you could park in the lot for the Hannaford grocery store on the other side of the tracks from the station?

I would long term parking might be an issue. There are plenty of spots at the McLellan building next door, too, and I know that the college recently traded that to the town of Brunswick. In return the college got the Longfellow School.

 

[Bradley Bitzer]

While the time from Boston isn't as fast as driving (sometimes,) I am more excited that I can take 66 from WAS and connect up on the first northbound to Brunswick. That to me is a real value. I can have a day in WAS then sleep my way to Maine.