Downeaster

The Downeaster is a 141-mile (227 km) regional passenger train service, managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), and operated by Amtrak. The train runs from North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, to the Portland Transportation Center in Portland, Maine before continuing on to Brunswick Maine Street Station in Brunswick, Maine. The train operates five daily round trips between Portland and Boston and two daily round trips between Boston and Brunswick.

See also: Rail travel in the United States

The Downeaster

The Downeaster runs north out of North Station towards the historic mill towns of Lawrence and Haverhill, Massachusetts and crosses the Merrimack River before entering New Hampshire. It travels inland through the New Hampshire towns of Exeter, Durham and Dover, and north of Great Bay, before crossing the Salmon Falls River into Maine. From there it travels through the coastal town of Wells and through the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The rail line takes the train back inland through Biddeford and Saco across the Saco River, before heading to the coastal town of Old Orchard Beach. The train station is located one block from the ocean in Old Orchard Beach. From here it continues through the expansive Scarborough Marsh, north to Portland. The train remains inland and runs through the town of Freeport, home to L.L. Bean, before terminating in Brunswick Maine.

The Downeaster operates multiple trains daily, seven days a week, every day of the year. It operates on both a weekday, and weekend/holiday schedule, and some stops and connections are seasonal, for the current schedule click here.

One-way fares range from $6.00 USD to $29.00 USD, can be found at Amtrak.com.

The Downeaster offers discounts such as half price tickets for Seniors and Children, and discounted fares to Medical patients and Disabled riders, AAA Members, US Military Personnel, and Students.

Other items, such as Rail Passes, are available through Amtrak.