Oct 1 - New Faregates at North Station
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- Created: 30 September 2022 30 September 2022
North Station continues to reinvent itself. Starting on Saturday, October 1st, access to the concourse for trains and the waiting area will be controlled by electronic gates. The gates will recognize all types of Amtrak and MBTA tickets. Riders will also need to use those tickets to exit the station.
Passengers can use their Downeaster paper ticket, show the PDF on their phone or the mobile app ticket.
Why is this being implemented? Primarily to improve MBTA fare collection (some riders 'forget' to buy a ticket for the commuter trains) and gather data on train usage. It will also keep wandering 'non-riders' from entering the areas.
There will be MBTA Customer Service personnel at the new gates to assist any and all.
North Station has been in the process of redefining itself over the past few years. If you haven't been there recently, it has become a destination in and of itself - boasting an extensive food court, a hotel, apartments as well as the Boston Garden sports venue.
Wayne Davis recently toured the New North Station and was impressed! Video from our Annual Meeting.
TrainRiders/Northeast's 34th Annual Meeting a Big Success!!!
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- Created: 18 August 2022 18 August 2022
This was our first in-person gathering since the pandemic shut us down. It was a pleasure to associate with each other after such a long hiatus.
We met at The Harraseeket Inn in Freeport and many of our guests, members and friends arrived by the Downeaster, having skipped the crowded interstate highway summer traffic. Attendees who took the train benefited from a discount as did those who stayed overnight at the inn.
Chairman Wayne Davis welcomed all to the meeting, reminding us that while we've accomplished much over the years, much remains to be done.
MEDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note emphasized that without Wayne Davis and TrainRiders/NE, the Downeaster would not exist. He also committed to initiating pilot programs on certain proposed rail expansion projects. One example was to run Budd cars on the Rockland line to gain data on rider interest.
Read more: TrainRiders/Northeast's 34th Annual Meeting a Big Success!!!
Freight Railroad Strike Averted for Now
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- Created: 10 August 2022 10 August 2022
Had the relationship between the freight railroads and union workers led to a strike, the Association of American Railroads estimated a financial loss to the US economy of $2B a day and ultimately impacting most Amtrak routes. Amtrak had already canceled long-distance trains for fear of passengers being stranded on freight-owned rails - the Downeaster would not have been affected by such a strike.
Railroads move 28% of all U.S freight and had the strike occurred, the supply chain would have been severely impacted, and fewer goods available would likely have caused a rise in inflationary pressures on the U.S. consumer. The union members still need to approve the tentative agreement.
More from the Rail Passenger Association:
WASHINGTON – The Rail Passengers Association this morning welcomed the White House announcement of a tentative rail agreement and concessions from the Class I railroads around work rules and time-off policies. We now hope that agreement will be enough to settle this long-running dispute and avoid a debilitating shutdown of our nation's vital rail transportation system.