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The Downeaster is a 116-mile (187 km) passenger train line operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. No direct transfer exists in Boston (see North-South Rail Link),although passengers connecting to other Amtrak service south or west from Boston can use the MBTA Orange Line subway to Back Bay Station or a taxi to South Station.
Amtrak uses the MBTA's Lowell Line from North Station to Wilmington Station, the Wildcat Branch to Wilmington Junction, and the Haverhill/Reading Line to Haverhill Station. From there to Portland it uses Guilford trackage. These were all part of the Boston and Maine Railroad - the part south of Wilmington Junction was once the main line and a branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, and the rest was the main line of the B&M.
If the Downeaster ran just over the Haverhill line there would have been a conflict with the local commuter rail, as the Downeaster wants to run express from Boston to Haverhill. The use of the Wildcat Branch to cross between the Lowell and Haverhill lines allows the Downeaster to pass a Haverhill train.
From Portland to Bangor, Concord Trailways operates Thruway Motorcoach service, scheduled to connect to the Downeaster, and treated as one continuous route for ticketing purposes.
Station stops
The Downeaster operates northbound as trains 680-688 and southbound as 681-689, making the following station stops (all trains make all stops).
- Wells, ME
- Saco, ME/Biddeford
- Old Orchard Beach (seasonal spring-fall service only)
- Portland, ME
External links
"Downeaster"