On October 25th, 2022, the NNEPRA Team welcomed members of the WTS Maine Chapter to experience the Amtrak Downeaster firsthand, network on board and receive a personalized tour of the Brunswick Layover facility.
WTS Maine is a division of Women’s Transportation Seminar, an international organization dedicated to advancing women in transportation through professional development. Maine is one of 79 chapters continuing this mission to support individual career advancement through various networking and educational opportunities.
Boarding in Portland on Downeaster train 683 attendees headed North at 2:25pm to Brunswick. Joined onboard by Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA’s Executive Director, Natalie Bogart, NNEPRA’s Deputy Director, and Taylor Belanger, NNEPRA’s Marketing Director, plans for future station developments were shared with attendees.
After arriving in Brunswick, the WTS Maine Chapter received a tour of the Brunswick layover facility lead by Jim Russell, NNEPRA’s Special Projects Manager and Gene Sougstad, Amtrak’s Road Foreman. While the construction and design of the facility lead the discussion, members rotated in asking questions and sharing a genuine enthusiasm for the infrastructure of this critical facility and its role in the Amtrak Downeaster’s service.
As the group boarded back onto the train, food and beverages were available from the Downeaster café, and the networking continued as the group made its way back to Portland. Opportunities to host the WTS Maine Chapter are appreciated and we look forward to having them back again.
