Good News: The Downeaster Set a Ridership Record for the Month of January!
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- Created: 08 March 2017 08 March 2017
January & February are normally lean months for Downeaster ridership, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that "America's Favorite Train" set a January record. NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn reported the numbers at 37,915 as compared to 30,979 for January of 2016.
February is expected to set a new record as well (Amtrak has yet to release those numbers). Attendees to the Patriots parade in Boston on February 6th packed the trains - an extra coach was even added to one of the trainsets.Congratulations to the NNEPRA staff, the Amtrak crews and the dedicated passengers who chose to "ride the rails" rather than fight traffic and take out a second mortgage for parking.
Here's the full Board Packet that was distributed at the meeting.
TrainRiders/NE Board Elects First Executive Director
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- Created: 18 January 2017 18 January 2017
PRESS RELEASE: TrainRiders Northeast, the non-profit, volunteer, rail advocacy organization founded in 1989 announced today that it has hired its first ever Executive Director, George O’Keefe, Jr., of Winthrop. O’Keefe is currently a Master’s Degree candidate in the Policy, Planning, and Management Program, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Management, at the Muskie School of Public Service.
O’Keefe will work alongside TrainRiders’ longtime Chairman and co-founder Wayne E. Davis to help the organization expand its mission of bringing “modern and efficient” passenger rail service to the Northeast. “A balanced transportation system is what we need in order to provide for sustainable economic opportunities that will last for generations,” said O’Keefe.
Read more: TrainRiders/NE Board Elects First Executive Director
28th Annual TrainRiders/NE Meeting - 2016
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- Created: 16 December 2016 16 December 2016
The 28th Annual Meeting of TrainRiders/Northeast welcomed 100 attendees at the Clarion Hotel in Portland (next to the Transportation Center). Many of those came by train, so it was a quick walk from the station to the hotel.
Senator Angus King saluted the Downeaster and TrainRiders/NE in a video presentation, complementing Wayne Davis for his vision and passion. Watch his comments here.
Eugene Skoropowski, Sr VP of Operations for All Aboard Florida's "Brightline", was the guest speaker. Gene's expertise is putting Florida on the map as a passenger-train-friendly state. He gave an impressive PowerPoint presentation, the slides of which can be viewed here.