PORTLAND, Maine — Plans for Portland’s new passenger train station are chugging along.
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), which operates the Amtrak Downeaster, said things are still in the early stages, but it’s proposing an area along St. John Street across from the METRO bus headquarters as a location.
"We want to move the station to what’s considered a mainland location so that the train can just come, stop, and go," NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn said.
It's a stark contrast to the current setup on Thompson's Point, where the Downeaster has to travel about a mile off the main line to the station. NNEPRA said the new location would cut this step and trim 15 minutes off northbound and southbound trips.
"We really just see this as an opportunity to make it even more accessible and usable for people," Quinn told NEWS CENTER Maine.
The rail authority said it would also benefit from the move. Quinn estimated there would be hundreds of thousands of dollars saved in fuel and labor costs.
Under the current plan, the station would connect to Northern Light Mercy Hospital’s campus. The hospital said Northern Light Health "… will work collaboratively to explore options for the preferred site that can be mutually beneficial as long as the integrity of [its] campus and the safety of [its] employees and patients are preserved."
In the area being proposed, there are small businesses such as an auto repair shop and dog daycare. The rail authority said there will likely be some sort of impact.
"We have not started any negotiations yet, but they are aware," Quinn said.
Quinn added that NNEPRA is still taking public comment on the proposal.
She said a formal recommendation for the St. John Street site will be made in a week or so.
"The formal recommendation will be in the form of a report, prepared by our consultant, which will describe the review process and how the site selection was made. From there, we move from the site alternatives review to preliminary engineering/design of a station facility, a cost estimate, and preliminary environmental review," Quinn said.