Portland Leaders Review $48 Million Amtrak Station Relocation Plan

Portland city leaders gathered on Monday evening to review a proposed $48 million relocation plan for the city’s Amtrak station, a project funded by federal dollars awarded to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA).

The Amtrak Downeaster currently connects passengers traveling from Portland to Boston or up to Brunswick, operating out of a transportation center at Thompson’s Point that also houses the Concord Bus Terminal. While the current setup places travelers right off the highway, NNEPRA argues that the existing site is inefficient, costly, and causes delays because trains must backtrack to the main line.

Learn more about the $48M relocation plan for Amtrak station in Portland, Maine

Moving the station to St. John Street near Northern Light Mercy Hospital would eliminate that backtracking and save 15 minutes on every trip, according to the Rail Authority. However, city officials must formally agree to NNEPRA’s preferred location near the Veterans Memorial Bridge, as the $48 million in federal funding is tied specifically to this site and cannot be used for alternative projects.

For Tammie Packard, who travels by train to Boston every three weeks, the current location at Thompson’s Point remains preferable due to its highway accessibility. “I like where it’s located now. It’s very convenient. It’s right off the highway. I like where it is,” Packard said.

Falmouth resident Joel Kallich, who commutes to Boston, said that he would like to see a new station harken back to the former Union Station, which was demolished in 1961 to make way for a strip mall.

I would prefer it just in that location, but yeah, a lot of the stuff that’s there that they tore down is terrible. Let’s clean it up and really make a gateway to the city.

City officials are now weighing these local perspectives against the operational efficiency gains promised by the Rail Authority as discussions surrounding the St. John Street proposal continue.