—Report recommends relocating Amtrak Downeaster station
Proposed location would put new transportation hub at site of former Union Station
Report recommends relocating Amtrak Downeaster station
Proposed location would put new transportation hub at site of former Union Station
A new report from the Maine Department of Transportation is recommending a new home for the Amtrak Downeaster train in Portland.
The study, conducted over the last two years, examined possible alternatives to the current Portland Transportation Center, which currently serves as the station for the Downeaster and regional bus services.
"The Portland Transportation Center and the surrounding system had seen growth and were straining the existing facility," said Jennifer Brickett, the DOT's director of planning.
The report recommends creating a new station for the train service, which connects Portland to North Station in Boston. It identified the area between Congress Street and St. John Street, which for decades was home to the now-demolished Union Station, as the best choice for a new location.
According to the study, the PTC is in need of significant terminal improvement, platform expansion, site renovation and expanded parking.
The PTC has hosted the Downeaster since 2001.
The DOT estimates the new location, which unlike the current station would be located on the mainline track, would decrease the transit time between Portland and Boston by more than 10 minutes.
The report examined more than a half-dozen options, including making renovations to the PTC.
