Category: General News

Operation Lifesaver Training

At NNEPRA, the safety of our passengers, employees, and communities remains our top priority. To reinforce our commitment to ensuring safe rail travel, NNEPRA is proud to announce that our staff has recently completed Operation Lifesaver volunteer training.

Operation Lifesaver is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing collisions, injuries, and fatalities on the nation’s railways. Its mission is to educate the public about rail safety through outreach programs and awareness campaigns.

Rail safety is a shared responsibility between railroad operators, local municipalities, and the public. Accidents at railroad crossings or near tracks can be devastating, but they are often preventable with the right education and awareness. By having NNEPRA staff trained, we can help ensure that our communities are aware of potential hazards and spread crucial information on how to stay safe around railroad tracks.

We encourage all of our passengers and local residents to learn more about rail safety and get involved in spreading the word. 👉 Take the rail safety pledge today! Together, we can make our railways safer for all.

Stay Safe, Travel Smart.

– Natalie Bogart, Deputy Director, NNEPRA

FRA Site Visit- NNEPRA Highlights Progress

NNEPRA’s Project Manager, Jim Russell recently hosted a site visit with representatives from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in Wells, Maine and at the Brunswick Layover Facility.

The Wells Area Improvement Project is designed to increase operational efficiency and safety for both freight and passenger services. During the site visit, Jim guided the FRA team through various upgrades, which included enhanced signaling systems, improved track layouts, and the integration of state-of-the-art technologies.

Brunswick Layover Facility: A Key Component

The Brunswick Layover Facility is another critical element of our project portfolio. Jim took the FRA representatives on a tour of the facility, highlighting the features that allow for efficient train servicing and crew changes.

This visit provided an opportunity for the NNEPRA Team to showcase our progress and discuss next steps with Ryan Bartlett, FRA; Andrew Peternith, FRA; and Chris Murray, Volpe.

Staff Training & Development – NNEPRA Remains Active

Training and professional development is essential for delivering the highest quality passenger rail service. Recently, the NNEPRA team participated in a variety of valuable training sessions offered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and the National Transit Institute (NTI). Here’s a recap!

Financial Management Oversight Training, FTA Volpe Center, Boston, MA

Emily Bedard, Senior Accountant; Olivia Richmond, Finance Associate; Natalie Bogart, Deputy Director; and Patricia Quinn, Executive Director, participated in the FTA’s Financial Management Oversight Training in August 2024. This training is crucial for ensuring that NNEPRA adheres to federal guidelines and best practices in financial management.

Procurement Training, NTI Roux Institute, Portland, ME & FTA Volpe Center, Boston, MA

Catherine Davidson, Grant and Compliance Manager and Belle Askinasi, Office Administrator attended both the National Transit Institute (NTI) Procurement Class and the FTA Procurement System Review in August. These invaluable trainings strengthen NNEPRA’s understanding of the procurement processes and provide valuable insights into effective procurement strategies.

Rail Program Delivery Workshop, FRA Washington, D.C.

Catherine Davidson, Grant and Compliance Manager had the exciting opportunity to attend the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Rail Program Delivery Workshop in Washington, D.C. This workshop was a fantastic platform for learning, collaboration, and sharing best practices in rail program delivery.

– Natalie Bogart, Deputy Director, NNEPRA

WTS Maine Chapter Annual Meeting

Deputy Director, Natalie Bogart, and Grant and Compliance Manager, Catherine Davidson, represented NNEPRA at this year’s WTS Maine Chapter Annual Meeting. It was an inspiring event featuring keynote speaker Nuria Fernandez, who shared her insights on leadership and empowering women in the transportation sector.

Thank you to WTS Maine for hosting, and to Nuria Fernandez for her motivating words! Events like these highlight the importance of collaboration and mentorship.

Nuria Fernandez
Nuria Fernandez
Group Meeting

ABOUT: WTS International was founded in 1977 by a group of pioneering women in transportation who realized that women’s careers would benefit from professional development, encouragement and recognition to support their advancement in transportation professions. After more than 40 years of growth and development, WTS is an international organization with more than 6500 members (including women and men) and 79 chapters. WTS is connected to a network of 40,000 transportation professionals.  Join today.

Click to Join

– Taylor Belanger, Marketing Director, NNEPRA

Rail Safety Week | #SeeTracksThinkTrain

September 23-29, 2024 marks the official week of train and track safety awareness promoted by Operation Lifesaver. NNEPRA is proud to work with Operation Lifesaver to continuously promote train safety messaging internally, and on our owned channels.

Together we can stop track tragedies.

We encourage our community to take the pledge (13 and up) and spread the word about train and track safety.

Click here for the Kids Safety Pledge.

Click here for the Pre-K Safety Pledge.

NNEPRA will welcome the Operation Lifesaver staff to the office in October to conduct our regular staff training and certifications.

Additional resources and educational materials can be found on their website.

– Taylor Auclair, Marketing Director at NNEPRA

Amtrak Downeaster Breaks Previous Ridership & Ticket Revenue Record in FY24

The Amtrak Downeaster transported 598,426 passengers in fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024), beating the previous best record set in Fiscal Year 2018 by 47,388 passengers. 

With the recent surge in ridership on the Amtrak Downeaster, we’re seeing tangible benefits for our station communities. Although Boston is the primary destination for Downeaster riders, increased passenger traffic to Maine and within Maine has bolstered local businesses. As we continue to grow, we’re proud to play a key role in enhancing the economic vitality and connectivity of the communities we serve. – Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA’s Executive Director

NNEPRA also reported record high ticket revenue of $13,051,548, $2.63M more than the previous best in Fiscal Year 2023.

NNEPRA reports that improved reliability and new marketing efforts contributed to the ridership surge and more repeat riders.  Amtrak Customer Satisfaction scores the Downeaster among the best in the nation for overall customer satisfaction, cleanliness, and friendliness of personnel.   

– Natalie Bogart, Deputy Director at NNEPRA

Advancing Rail Safety with Positive Train Control

On June 26th, Amtrak and the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) gathered with state, local, and federal officials at Freeport Station to discuss the installation and impact of Positive Train Control (PTC) between Haverhill, MA and Brunswick, ME on over 100 miles of track.

What is Positive Train Control?

Positive Train Control (PTC) is an advanced system designed to automatically stop or slow down a train before certain types of accidents occur and is intended to prevent:

  • Train-to-train collisions
  • Derailments caused by excessive speed
  • Unauthorized train movements on tracks undergoing maintenance
  • Movement of trains through misaligned track switches

Timeline

Scheduled to be completed in Spring 2026,  Positive Train Control (PTC) also creates opportunities for potential increases in Downeaster frequencies.

For additional details and updates, please follow NNEPRA on LinkedIn and the Downeaster on social channels and subscribe to our newsletter.

Group Photo

– Natalie Bogart, Deputy Director at NNEPRA

In Our Station Communities – NNEPRA Remains Active

Spring brings new opportunities for our station communities to engage with residents and visitors. NNEPRA remains committed to supporting and sustaining efforts put forth by small businesses, chamber groups, tourism partners, and rail advocacy members through sponsorships, tabling, and participating in local events. View our recent list of major engagements below.

Governor’s Conference on Tourism

April 24th & 25th – Holiday Inn By The Bay – Portland, Maine

At this year’s conference, NNEPRA was proud to watch Wayne Davis, of TrainRiders Northeast, receive the 2024 WelcomeME Award. His dedication to bringing passenger rail to Maine was the catalyst for the development of the Amtrak Downeaster.

TrainRiders Northeast 35th Annual Meeting

April 30th – Harraseeket Inn – Freeport, Maine

Supporting the TrainRiders Northeast Annual Meeting as Platinum Sponsors, the NNEPRA team, along with partners at Amtrak and MaineDOT, gathered to celebrate the growth of passenger rail in Maine and along the Northeast Corridor.

Flying Colors – Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine Art Auction Benefit

May 10th – Portland, Maine

NNEPRA partnered with Downeaster Travel Packages to donate a curated travel package to the CMTM’s Art Auction Benefit event. The CMTM continues to bring inclusive opportunities for all children and families to experience, learn, test, and grow within their expertly designed exhibits and hands-on experiential workshops, classes, and performances.

Downtown Worker Appreciation Day

May 25th – Portland, Maine

NNEPRA, alongside transportation partners serving the greater Portland region, b2b solutions, and b2c businesses, gathered to give back to Portland’s Downtown Workforce. With a two-hour lunch window and the location set in Monument Square, hundreds of staff, residents, and visitors poured into the city center to shake off the winter blues and get ready for a busy season in Portland, Maine.

Photo: Egide Foxworth and Portland Downtown
Photo: Egide Foxworth and Portland Downtown
Photo: Egide Foxworth and Portland Downtown

– Taylor Belanger, Marketing Director, NNEPRA

2024 N.C. Transportation Summit

Patricia Quinn participated in a panel titled “The Track Ahead – Economic Development and Revitalization by Rail,” at the North Carolina DOT 2024 Transportation Summit in Greensboro, NC on May 21 to showcase how the Downeaster has been a key component to successful transit-oriented development and economic growth in station communities.  

NNEPRA Participates in Ride With Me

On February 29, 2024, NNEPRA participated in the Ride With Me program hosted by GPCOG and PACTS

Through Ride With Me, transportation partners can coordinate and ride their route with older adults, people with disabilities, people of color, and/or individuals with lower incomes as an opportunity for those riders to share their experience, educate decision-makers about transportation barriers, and offer creative ideas to improve infrastructure or processes. NNEPRA was happy to participate for the second year in a row.

NNEPRA’s Manager of Passenger Services, Brian Beeler, and Grant Program & Compliance Specialist, Catherine Davidson, were joined by a visually impaired passenger. This passenger shared first-hand insight of her experience navigating public transportation in the region and beyond.

NNEPRA staff was pleased to hear that she regularly uses the Downeaster service to travel to Boston, and feels comfortable and confident navigating the train independently. Staff learned about features that work well (i.e., booking tickets through the Amtrak app, audio queues for upcoming stops, web-based information that is compatible with screen reader technology, etc.) and areas of potential improvement. NNEPRA looks forward to participating in the Ride With Me program, and similar programs, in the future.