Amtrak Downeaster

USPA NEWS - Amtrak Downeaster makes five round trips daily between Brunswick, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts.

This past week has been a great time to be a football fan in New England as the beloved Patriots' win  their sixth Super Bowl title. Many thousands of excited fans and proud New Englander's gathered in Boston to celebrate with a parade in the Patriots' honor.  As with any large event in Boston parking can be challenging, but in recent years more  people are deciding to take transit and passenger rail in order to relive stresses that can arise from taking their own vehicle into the city.

The MBTA provides many great options for transit options for Boston and surrounding area, but what about options that are outside of that region?

Amtrak provides some great options for commuting into Boston from other parts of the state, other states and nationwide.

One good example of such service is the Amtrak Downeaster. The Downeaster is a rail passenger rail service that spans 145 miles with 12 stops between Brunswick Maine and Boston Massachusetts. Service for this route began on December 15, 2001. In the beginning the Downeaster ran from Portland to Boston, but in 2012 expanded service to include Freeport and Brunswick. At present the Downeaster offers 5 round trips daily between Brunswick, Maine and Boston. Each trip has a travel time of 3.5 hours. Stops  between Brunswick and Boston are as follows: Brunswick, Maine Freeport, Maine Portland, Maine Old Orchard Beach, Maine Saco, Maine Wells, Maine Dover, NH Durham(UNH),NH Exeter, NH Haverhill, Massachusetts  Woburn, Massachusetts  Boston, Massachusetts  Each Downeaster station offers parking for those who wish to take advantage of the park and ride option. Some stations offer free parking while others offer reasonable daily rates. There are many benefits of parking and taking the train such as not having to deal with traffic or bad weather and also it is better for the environment.

Once onboard the Downeaster there are many animaties that make for a pleasant travel experience. These include, storage space for luggage, comfortable seating with plenty of legroom, free WIFI to stay connected, electrical outlets to keep devices charged and the Downeaster Cafe for a coffee and other beverages along with tasty snacks.  The Downeaster also provides a view of New England that only the train can provide. It is highly recommended to bring a camera to capture such scenery. It should be noted that during summer and early fall some trains will have a Dome Observation Car which provide breathtaking panoramic views. See Downeaster website for dates of availability for each season. There are many reasons why people choose to travel on the Downeaster. Work, university, to catch a concert or sporting event, to take in the big city culture or explore the charms of small town life. Whatever the reason for travel, the Amtrak Downeaster is a reliable, affordable and convenient way to get there.