NNEPRA has awarded Blazed Partners a Yarmouth-based advertising/digital marketing agency the #23-Advertising Firm-003 contract. The collaboration aims to enhance the marketing and promotion of the Downeaster, elevate its brand presence and increase overall ridership.
The NNEPRA team expressed their confidence in selecting Blaze Partners, recognizing the agency’s expertise and shared values. “Blaze Partners demonstrates an understanding of our brand and a vision for its growth,” said Taylor Belanger, Marketing Director at NNEPRA. “Their commitment to sustainability and community engagement aligns perfectly with our mission to provide safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation options. We believe that this partnership will bring tremendous value to our passengers and help us achieve our goals for growth.”
Blaze Partners will collaborate closely with NNEPRA to develop comprehensive marketing campaigns spanning traditional and digital platforms. Blaze brings significant expertise in effective storytelling and engaging content creation that will play a vital role in showcasing the Downeaster travel experience and fostering connections between the diverse communities along the route. “We’re excited to embark on this journey together,” said Jim Hauptman, Blaze’s managing partner. “In a relatively short time, the Downeaster has already become an iconic Maine brand — one we hope to strengthen and further develop through our marketing efforts.”
Photographed from left to right: Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA Executive Director; Kayla Collins, Blaze Account Strategist; Eli Grober, Blaze Senior Copywriter; Jim Hauptman, Blaze Partner; Natalie Bogart, NNEPRA Deputy Director; Taylor Belanger, NNEPRA Marketing Director; Eliza Hill, Blaze Vice President of Strategy
January, 2023- Exciting progress is being made on the Wells Area Improvement Project. The CSX Rail Train arrived at CPF 228 on January 5th, carrying 115lb continuously welded rail that will become a two-mile siding extension between Wells, Maine and North Berwick, Maine. What does this mean for the future of Amtrak Downeaster? Once the project is complete, these elements will improve reliability and schedule flexibility of both the Amtrak Downeaster and freight trains and will eventually support the addition of a 6th daily Downeaster round-trip between Wells and Brunswick, Maine.
The Amtrak Downeaster began providing daily passenger rail service between Maine and Boston on December 15, 2001, twenty-one (21) years ago today. In just the past 12 months, the Downeaster has transported more than 467,000 passengers (a 35% increase over the previous year) including commuters, students traveling to or from college, children, senior citizens, sports fans, medical travelers, and tourists. More than 8.4 million riders have traveled on the Downeaster since service began.
“Despite significant challenges during the pandemic, Amtrak Downeaster ridership has rebounded to 93% of 2019 levels. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) continues to make service improvements and infrastructure investments in the Downeaster, which maintains one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the nation.” said Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA Executive Director.
Construction continues on the Wells Area Improvement Project, which broke ground one year ago, and will lead to additional Downeaster service between Brunswick and Wells in 2025. The $23M Project, managed by NNEPRA, is funded in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, the Maine Department of Transportation, and CSX Transportation.
Special Travel Promotions put in place to Celebrate Downeaster Anniversary
The Amtrak Downeaster is celebrating 21 years of service by offering special discounted fares for travel during January 2023. “If you already love the Downeaster, or if you’ve haven’t ridden yet, these $20 Round-Trip fares make January the perfect time to take the train!” said Taylor Belanger, NNEPRA Marketing Director.
$20 round-trip ($10 one-way) fares for travel between Brunswick, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts or any station in between will be available for sale beginning Thursday, December 15, 2022 and are valid for travel January 1, 2023 through January 31, 2023. Reservations for these discounted fares must be purchased 3 days in advance of travel. Reference promotion code v520. For more information visit https://amtrakdowneaster.com/deals-discounts/deals/january-sale/.
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.
Maintaining the condition of grade crossings is an important aspect of safety and on-time performance. NNEPRA, Amtrak, and CSX identify grade crossing locations in need of maintenance to ensure safety and reliability of service. In 2022 this included the grade crossing at Blackmore Road in South Berwick, Maine.
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) is pleased to welcome three new members, Alan Cassavant, Alison Harris and Marguerite Fleming, to its Board of Directors. Per statue, Governor Janet Mills, appointed the three Directors who were then approved by the Joint Committee on Transportation, and confirmed by the State Senate.
Alan Cassavant, a former teacher and State Legislator, has served as the Mayor of Biddeford, ME for the past eleven years. Alison Harris, a resident of Brunswick, ME is a public transportation advocate who has been actively involved in the expansion of Amtrak Downeaster service and currently volunteers as a passenger ambassador at the Brunswick Station. Marguerite Flemming, a graduate student of the Muskie School of Public Service, is the Administrative Analyst for the Town of Falmouth, ME.
The new Board slate replaces exiting members whose terms have expired including John Melrose, who served as Board Chair since 2016; Dana Connors who served on the Board since 2002, most recently as Vice Chair and Treasurer; and Brian Hobart, who served since 2017.
NNEPRA Board Director James I. Cohen, Esq. has been appointed Chair by Governor Janet Mills and Board members have elected Director Carol Murray to serve as Treasurer. The seven-member NNEPRA Board also includes Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note and Maine Office of Tourism Director, Steve Lyons, who serve ex-officio as voting members.
New Directors Left: Marguerite Fleming, Top Right: Alan Cassavant, Bottom Right: Alison Harris
On Friday, February 18th, NNEPRA staff, joined by special guests Senator Angus King, a representative from Senator Susan Collins’ office, MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note and Brunswick Downtown Association Executive Director Debra King, recognized the efforts and accomplishments of TrainRiders Northeast chairman Wayne Davis with the unveiling of a bronze plaque installed inside the Brunswick Visitors center. The plaque reads:
“In recognition of Wayne E. Davis, Chairman of TrainRiders Northeast. For his dedication to the restoration of passenger rail in northern New England and his enduring contributions to the Amtrak Downeaster Service.“
December 15, 2021 – The Amtrak Downeaster celebrated 20 years of service, connecting Northern New England with reliable and convenient passenger rail service between Brunswick, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. The service was established as a result of a citizen’s initiative by TrainRiders Northeast to restore passenger rail service to Maine after a 30-year hiatus. To date more than 65,000 Downeaster trains have operated, transporting more than 8.29 million passengers the equivalent of nearly 674 million passenger miles. Many improvements have been made to the service including reductions in travel time, increased frequency, and expanded service.
The Downeaster has developed a diversified ridership base which includes commuters traveling to work, students traveling to or from college, school kids on education trips, senior citizens looking for a day out, sports fans, beach goers, tourists and more.
“And the best is yet to come,” said Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of NNEPRA. “We are committed to the sustained growth of the Amtrak Downeaster and are exploring innovative ways to improve mobility, advance safety, combat climate change and support a growing economy”. Initiatives under consideration to support and enhance existing service include inbound commuter service, Portland Station relocation, and the addition of a Downeaster platform in West Falmouth to name a few.
The 20th Anniversary was marked with a celebration at the Wells Transportation Center on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 and featured Governor Janet Mills as well as executive leadership form Amtrak, Pan Am Railways and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). There were video presentations from Senator Susan Collins and Senator Angus King and comments from a representative from Congresswoman Chelli Pingree’s office.
In addition to recognizing the accomplishments of the past, the event included a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on a $22.9M infrastructure project in Wells which will improve Downeaster service reliability and set the stage for added frequencies into the future. The project is funded in part with a federal grant made possible through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) program which will be administered by the FRA. Additional funding for the project will be provided by Pan Am Railways and the Maine DOT. “At the Maine Department of Transportation, we are proud of the productive partnership we have with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority,” said Bruce A. Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. “The enduring advocacy of TrainRiders Northeast, led by Wayne Davis, and the steady work of NNEPRA, led by Patricia Quinn, are key reasons that we are celebrating 20 years of Downeaster service today. I congratulate NNEPRA and the Town of Wells for embarking on this new project, which will improve passenger and freight rail service in southern Maine.”
To commemorate 20 years of service, a special $20 round-trip fare valid for travel on Downeaster trains during the month of January and February 2022, will be available for sale beginning on December 15, 2021. For more information visit https://amtrakdowneaster.com/20years.
In recognition and memory of Susan Maxell, a dedicated attendant in the Café of the Amtrak Downeaster, a memorial bench has been installed on the platform in Old Orchard Beach. Sue began her service when the Downeaster began operating in December 2001 and remained a dedicated employee until her unexpected passing in June 2021. Her warm smile and contagious laugh will be missed by many.
The New England Railroad Club Executive Committee has awarded Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) with the Vincent R. Terrill Lifetime Achievement Award for her exemplary commitment to passenger rail service in New England and beyond throughout her career.
The Vincent R. Terrill Lifetime Achievements Award was established to recognize individuals who have provided exemplary service to the New England Railroad community through leadership and by advancing railroad services and operations. It is the Executive Committee’s opinion that Ms. Quinn exemplifies the ideals of service to the New England Railroad community exemplified by Mr. Terrill.
“Amongst many nominees considered for the 2021 Vin Terrill Award, the New England Railroad Club Executive Committee has the pleasure of granting this award to Patricia given her outstanding work, dedication to the industry, and her leadership presence in the regional and national transportation environment.” Clary Coutu, President of the NERRC
Her 20 years with NNEPRA have been challenging – she has risen to the needs of the service with grace and dignity, and has been engaged in all aspects of initiating and maintaining the Downeaster service, has cooperated with freight carriers in the region, and has successfully engaged with public officials along the rail corridor between Boston and Maine. An effective leader, Patricia has hired and developed a small but efficient staff to manage contracting, project development and execution, and high levels of customer satisfaction.
Along with her day to day responsibilities Patricia has been active regionally and nationally, serving on AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Rail Transportation and States for Passenger Rail Coalition.
“This award is a tribute to Patricia’s achievements for her longstanding influence in driving continual improvement strategies and forging partnerships that benefit the regional environment of the rail industry in New England and abroad. We believe Patricia embodies the qualities of a leader worthy of the title of this award and praise her accomplishments that further serve to empower women leaders in transportation” Clary Coutu, President of NERRC.
In her role as the executive director of NNEPRA since 2005, Quinn has led development of the Amtrak Downeaster passenger rail service between Brunswick, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. Under her leadership, the Downeaster has experienced steady growth in both ridership and revenue and has realized a number of improvements including additional frequency, expansion to new communities, reduced travel time and construction of new facilities all while retaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Quinn has remained committed to developing strong partnerships, assuring that Amtrak Downeaster service contributes to the economic sustainability of the region, and that NNEPRA-sponsored investments in railroad infrastructure support the movement of both passengers and freight.
“Patricia is laser focused on improving the Amtrak Downeaster service and the national stature of this service reveals the success of her efforts. Her enthusiasm, dedication and hard work leave no doubt that she gives the Downeaster her all. She is a transportation leader in Maine and on the national scene and is a pleasure to work with and a leader to believe in” said John Melrose, NNEPRA Chairman.
The 2021 Vincent R. Terrill Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Patricia Quinn at a New England Railroad Club event to take place in 2021. More details to follow at http://www.nerailroadclub.com/events/.
