Downeaster ridership low but rising as trains start running after two-month shutdown

TIMES RECORD • May 5, 2020

Amtrak’s Downeaster trains are back up and running following a two-month service shut down, and ridership numbers, while far below normal, are trending upward, according to rail authority director Patricia Quinn. Last month, officials announced the Downeaster would resume partial service, offering one round trip from Brunswick to Boston on weekdays, starting June 15. The Downeaster suspended service April 13 and did not restart until two months later. One unintended consequence of the pandemic is the further delay of plans to extend service all the way to Rockland via the Coastal Connection, a proposed seasonal weekend pilot program which has already been delayed multiple times.