TIMES RECORD • July 1, 2021
With summer full-steam ahead and pandemic restrictions easing, the Downeaster Boston-to-Brunswick passenger rail service is steadily inching toward pre-pandemic norms. According to Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority Executive Director Patricia Quinn, ridership for June 2021 will exceed 25,000 passengers. For comparison, June 2020 — a summer season hobbled by the pandemic — saw just 768 riders, a sharp decrease from the 48,284 riders in June of 2019.