A Record Number of People Rode the Downeaster Through Maine, New Hampshire, & Massachusetts Last Year

These days, if you asked someone how they prefer to travel long distances, they will probably tell you either by car or plane.

That was not always the case.

From the mid-1800s to mid-1900s, the preferred method of long-distance travel in the United States was by railroad.  While it was not the quickest way to travel, the trains were always on time, and trains provided a much more comfortable ride compared to traveling across the nation’s unpaved roads.

Following WWII, when cars became more commonplace and the network of roads crisscrossing the country was modernized, travel by rail became less commonplace.  It dropped off even more when air travel became affordable enough for the average middle-class family to hop on a plane to their favorite vacation destination.

However, over the last few years, rail travel in New England has seen a resurgence.

Recently, millennials and Gen-Z have discovered how affordable and hassle-free trains can be for regional trips.

The AMTRAK Downeaster

Since December 2001, the Downeaster has been carrying passengers between destinations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Boston, Massachusetts.

According to WGME, the Downeaster set a new record for ridership during their fiscal year, which ended in June 2024.

Nearly 600,000 people rode the train between July of 2023 and June of 2024.

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That’s a significant increase over the 542,000 who took the train during the previous fiscal year.

The rail line also brought in about $13 million in revenue.  That’s nearly $3 million more than the year before.

The AMTRAK Downeaster currently runs from Brunswick to Boston, and has ten stops between.  However, there has been a lot of discussion about extending the line.