Downeaster host railroad for sale?

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Palmetto

Engineer
Joined
May 12, 2014
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Location
Miami
There is a rumor circulating that Pan Am Railways, the host railroad of the Downeaster service between Boston and Brunswick, ME, is for sale. If you recall, in the planning stages for the service, the railroad was not a friendly player. They were strongly opposed to running trains on their tracks at 79 MPH, although that speed is hardly attained anywhere--if at all--these days. The issue was eventually settled, and I would think that 70 MPH is the top speed that the service makes.
 
What about NNEPRA? At least in Maine...not sure about the New Hampshire portion...I believe the MBTA already owns the MA portion...?
 
Pan Am and Norfolk Southern already jointly own 'Pan Am Southern'......the old B&M mainline from near Albany to Boston.

But not all the way to Boston. Only as far as Ayer. East of Ayer is Pan Am.
What about NNEPRA? At least in Maine...not sure about the New Hampshire portion...I believe the MBTA already owns the MA portion...?


You are correct. New Hampshire is the big bugaboo in a multi-state operation.
 
You are correct. New Hampshire is the big bugaboo in a multi-state operation.
They could try to get New Hampshire's DOT involved with a joint ME-MA operation. If NH declined, they could just operate 'closed doors' thru NH, and hope that local pressure would get the state to join. If they got good revenue from the NH stops, they could just absorb the costs themselves...
 
They could try to get New Hampshire's DOT involved with a joint ME-MA operation. If NH declined, they could just operate 'closed doors' thru NH, and hope that local pressure would get the state to join. If they got good revenue from the NH stops, they could just absorb the costs themselves...
Or just jack up the cost for NH residents - or at least those boarding in NH. :)
 
They could try to get New Hampshire's DOT involved with a joint ME-MA operation. If NH declined, they could just operate 'closed doors' thru NH, and hope that local pressure would get the state to join. If they got good revenue from the NH stops, they could just absorb the costs themselves...


A possibility, but the three stops in New Hampshire provide a substantial number of passengers on a regular basis. Bypassing them would be pretty detrimental to the bottom line.
 
Norfolk Southern will probably take the main east-west line from the Albany area to Boston. The rest will go to one of the big short line companies. Maine could buy the non-MBTA part of the Downeaster, but that probably won't be necessary if the right deal is made.
 
Since NH does not support the fares should be at a minimum what the fares are for Maine boarding. ie NH passengers pay Wells - BON fare

$21 coach
$31 business

That should open up space for the Haverhill commuters who often fill up train 680 when it leaves there. The use monthly commutation tickets.
 
Imagine a Boston - Saint John passenger service. ;)
That would be great...even better if extended to Halifax.
Nowadays, (pre-pandemic), you can't even get from Maine to New Brunswick on a bus, without going all the way to Montreal first...
 
The current issue of Passenger Train Journal has a nice article on the Gull....with pictures and consists.
Thanks for mentioning that...
I was an early subscriber to that magazine, and I had forgotten that a new publisher had relaunched it....always great coverage and writer's. I read Karl Zimmermann's farewell column. I was always a fan of his, having acquired some of his great passenger train books, and I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife Laurel, at a World Ship Society meeting, of which he is a member, and occasional lecturer...:)
 
I wish PTJ would consider a digital edition. I have binders full of back editions that I would trade in a heartbeat for a searchable database. I'm a Mike Schafer fan and own several of his books. I wish I still subscribed, but it also got really expensive in later years.
 
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