Amtrak Downeaster  

Welcome aboard Amtrak Downeaster Train #688 with from Brunswick, Maine to Boston Massachusetts' North Station! Today our train is lead by an ex-F40PH NPCU pulling 5 Amfleet I cars with a GE P42DC trailing on the rear. Our stops along the way will be Freeport, Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Saco-Biddeford, Wells, Dover, Durham-UNH, Exeter, and Haverhill.
The Amtrak Downeaster is one of Amtrak's most unique routes when it comes to the lines it uses, as there are many different pathways that trains take. The Downeaster uses MBTA's Haverhill Line from North Station to up until the Wilmington MBTA station where it uses the MBTA Wildcat Branch to join the MBTA's Haverhill Line in Andover (Ballardville), MA. The Haverhill Line then continues up until the Massachusetts-New Hampshire state line where the trackage then joins the Pan Am Railways Main Line for the rest of the journey up until the last mile of track which is owned by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). All of the lines used and seen in the video were once part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Mai Line. Amtrak Downeaster service originally began in December 2001, with service to Freeport and Brunswick commencing in November 2012. Unlike most other Amtrak routes, the Downeaster is separated from the rest of Amtrak's network due to the lack of a direct connection between Boston's North Station and the other stations in the area. Most of the track is double-tracked on the MBTA-owned lines, but North of Haverhill the line is mostly single-tracked with occasional double-track sections. Pan Am Railways also runs frequent freight service along the line between Haverhill and Portland's Rigby Yard.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the journey! :)
Additional Information:
Recording Date: August 10, 2020
Editing Tool: Sony Vegas Pro 20
Leading Locomotive: Amtrak ex-F40PH NPCU (Forget the Number)
Train Number: 688
Class I Rode In: Coach
Departure Station: Brunswick, ME
Arrival Station: Boston, MA North Station
Departure Time: 4:10 PM EST
Arrival Time: 7:30 PM EST
Travel Time: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Track Owners: MBTA, Pan Am Railways, MaineDOT
Total Distance Traveled: 145 Miles (233 km)
Top Speed: 79 MPH
Electrification Type: None
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