W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
General Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ed Lecuyer on October 25, 2017, 04:27:51 PM
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Looks like they are going to try extending the Downeaster to Rockland (via Wiscasset) in 2018:
http://www.mainebiz.biz/article/20171025/NEWS01/171029968 (http://www.mainebiz.biz/article/20171025/NEWS01/171029968)
Maybe Amtrak will view us as a destination/attraction rather than a competitor (like Maine Eastern did.)
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More here: http://www.pressherald.com/2017/10/25/amtrak-exploring-plan-to-extend-passenger-service-as-far-as-rockland/
and here: http://bangordailynews.com/2017/10/24/business/rail-group-eyes-amtrak-service-to-rockland-by-summer-2018/
Maybe Amtrak will view us as a destination/attraction rather than a competitor...
We'll have to send the Model AA down to Wiscasset to pick up passengers. Or the Yeti.
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Better start getting ahold of the Amtrak sales and marketing people for advertising and maybe "package" deals. Could be a boom for our ridership.......
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"Ride Amtrak Boston to Wiscasset with connections to Head Tide." "Stopping at Sheepscot, Alna Station, and Moose Trout Brook Bridge."
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Need to restore our connection to the National Rail Network! Onwards to Wiscasset!
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If trains run to Wiscasset again, hopefully the towns nearby help advertise nearby attractions such as WW&F, Boothbay Railway Village, the Botanical Gardens, and much more.
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Problem is it is a long walk to any or all of those from the station site..
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Problem is it is a long walk to any or all of those from the station site..
Mike, it will bring gold to all the Uber & Lyft drivers.
Tom C.
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Or even the need for a public bus shuttle to take people to desired destinations or tours.
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This is indeed good news for the midcoast region! It will certainly create a need for a jitney service in the area.
Win Nowell
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Extending Amtrak passenger service through Wiscasset would be a huge win for WW&F and the area .
American Airlines plans to start regional service from LGA NYC next April to nearby Portland. More good news.
Maybe WW&F should invest in a couple more flatbed Model AAs, complete with hay bale seats, for authentic Wiscasset-Sheepscot shuttle service.
Think of the nationwide publicity! ;D ;D
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To my way of thinking, it would make a lot more sense to extend the Brunswick trains to the state capital of Augusta rather than to Rockland. There are certainly more people in Augusta who could use the service, and some of them are influential in state politics. Making the 50-some-mile run to Wiscasset in under two hours would be a real stretch, while Augusta is 33 miles.
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Me personally do not see where any of those lines will be profitable. Amtrak went to Brunswick to try to ease congestion on 295, and it did not work. Why? Because us as Americans would rather deal with traffic and have our own wheels to get us there on short hauls. The line is only profitable from Wells south because that is where the most commuters start to get on to take the train to Boston. Very few people if any ride the train from Portland to Brunswick, and vice versa.
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Remember, they are only currently talking about a seasonal tourist-based traffic schedule. We should encourage that for a whole lot of reasons. Perhaps it can be another gateway toward Amtrak service to L/A and further north in the future.
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I have great hopes for expanded service to Freeport, as it is a "destination resort" with lots of attractions within walking distance of the station. This is not true for Wiscasset and Rockland.
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Freeport does ok on Weekends, however due to current scheduling its not a very good schedule for commuters or visitors to Freeport.
As for ever coming up here to Lewiston Auburn, in my mind they already cganged their minds against that by going to Brunswick, the complete opposite way from Auburn however puts it on the way to Augusta, Waterville, & Bangor. Who knows what the future will hold, but Maine as a whole needs to work on improving public transportation.
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Interesting discussion but does anyone know for sure whether this is weekend only or full week service? Also, are we getting with Amtrak marketing or not. If there were weekend package deals for 40 or more folks, then charter a bus or vans to shuttle folks up. I'm sure the Boston area railfans would do it.
We'll never know for sure unless we try.........
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Weekend service is the only thing they are currently talking about.
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One report I read mentioned a single daily round trip from Boston to Rockland. Currently, the earliest Saturday/Sunday departure from North Station, Boston is at 9:25 a.m., arriving Brunswick at 12:45 p.m. It will take another two hours, at least, to run to Rockland. Two hours to get back to Brunswick to make the current 6:25 p.m. departure to Boston, arriving at 9:50 p.m. That would allow at most a 90-minute layover in Rockland. I'm not sure many tourists would want to take that ride unless they were planning an overnight stay in Rockland. On the other hand, that schedule might allow about 3-1/2 hours in Wiscasset (and Sheepscot).
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Rockland is a changing demographic. It is becoming very popular with the younger generation who, having left the big city, are working on making their way in smaller cities and towns without the use of a car. If the trend continues, I could see Rockland becoming a draw for Downeaster traffic.
Steve
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I just dug out my December 1953 edition of The Official Guide, and here's what I found. Two daily round trips Boston to Rockland. No. 55 left Boston at 2:25 a.m, Portland at 7:05 a.m., Brunswick at 8:00 a.m., arrived Rockland 10:25 a.m. Train 57 left Boston at 4:40 p.m., Portland at 7:20 p.m., Brunswick at 7:58 p.m. and arrived Rockland at 9:30 p.m.
From Rockland, No. 52 left Rockland at 7:50 a.m., Brunswick at 9:48 a.m., Portland at 10:35 a.m., arriving Boston 1:15 p.m. No. 56 Left Rockland at 4:20 p.m, Brunswick 6:33 p.m., Portland 7:10 p.m. and arrived Boston 10:10 p.m.
In addition to these two trains, there was also a Portland-Rockland round trip leaving Portland at 8:48 a.m., Brunswick at 9:31 a.m. arriving Rockland 11:25 a.m. The return to Portland left Rockland at 5:20 p.m., Brunswick 7:13 p.m. and arrived Portland 7:55 p.m.
In addition, the Guide shows three daily round trip buses between Rockland and Portland. There were also connecting trains to New York from Portland, but no direct through trains. At that time, there were still daily trains from Portland to Bangor, Farmington, Calais, Vanceboro, and even Montreal via St. Johnsbury.
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Rockland is a changing demographic. It is becoming very popular with the younger generation who, having left the big city, are working on making their way in smaller cities and towns without the use of a car. If the trend continues, I could see Rokland becoming a draw for Downeaster traffic.
Steve
This makes a lot of sense. With real estate prices high in the bigger urban areas, people with some flexibility and portable skills (think young, internet, and programming for example) are looking for a place to settle and would naturally migrate to attractive but 'undiscovered' places. Portland has seen this already, and as prices rise there, further out becomes more acceptable.
It will occur at the expense of some of the natives, however, as real estate and other prices rise.
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It's already occuring here, as waterfront property becomes increasingly valuable, the locals can't afford it, unless you're a lobster/fisherman and thus shielded somehow by the State. Several years back my town reevaluated our properties, and I got mistakenly categorized at waterfront property for my 50+ acres. My property tax was over $4000; when I complained eventually and they realized their mistake, it dropped to $2600.
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Having observed it for 15+ years, Rockland is now becoming a hopping place. It's gentrifying in a nice way. In addition to the stable institutions and businesses (the Farnsworth, FMC, the harbor), Main Street has blossomed. One of the best restaurants in Maine (Primo) is there, and there are many new restaurants as well. The annual Lobster Festival is legendary. The cruise ships now stop there as well. It's only going to get better, so as a rail destination, it's increasingly attractive.