Portland, rail authority, MaineHealth at odds over potential new Amtrak station location

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2025

A proposal to relocate Portland’s Amtrak station has sparked a dispute between city leaders, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and the owner of Maine Medical Center over where a new station should be built — if at all. The rail authority, which operates the Downeaster, wants to move the station from Thompson’s Point to a parcel near the Mercy Hospital campus on St. John Street. But city staff, councilors and transit advocates argue that a different location — behind Union Plaza and near the former Margarita’s restaurant — makes the most long-term sense. The Downeaster runs five trips daily between Brunswick and Boston. In its 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported 600,000 riders on the route.