While walking from WTSN in Dover, NH, this morning to catch Amtrak #682 to Boston, I observed no less than three major development projects near the Dover Amtrak station. One of them looked like mixed office and residential; the others seemed to be strictly residential. There is clearly money to be made renting apartments and office space near the train station, and Dover and other communities along the Downeaster line have certainly profited by the return of the trains.
Now, another Boston and Maine route used to run from Boston through Manchester, Concord, and Lebanon, NH, to White River Junction, Vermont. In 1956, the B&M's fastest train, #307, left Boston's North Station at 1:00 PM and arrived in White River Junction at 3:55. Train #317, making all stops along the route, left Boston at 5:30 PM and got to White River at 8:50. These times compare favorably with those of today's Downeaster, whose route from Boston to Brunswick, Maine is about the same length.
Given the spectacular success of the Downeaster, I think a similar service, which I propose to call The White River Limited, between Boston and White River Junction would make sense. The upper Connecticut Valley communities as well as Concord and Manchester would likely enjoy economic benefits from frequent train service to Boston comparable to those enjoyed by the towns and cities along the Downeaster route. The more I look at this, the more it seems like a slam-dunk; only New Hampshire's perennial aversion to funding rail of any sort seems to stand in the way. What do y'all think?
Now, another Boston and Maine route used to run from Boston through Manchester, Concord, and Lebanon, NH, to White River Junction, Vermont. In 1956, the B&M's fastest train, #307, left Boston's North Station at 1:00 PM and arrived in White River Junction at 3:55. Train #317, making all stops along the route, left Boston at 5:30 PM and got to White River at 8:50. These times compare favorably with those of today's Downeaster, whose route from Boston to Brunswick, Maine is about the same length.
Given the spectacular success of the Downeaster, I think a similar service, which I propose to call The White River Limited, between Boston and White River Junction would make sense. The upper Connecticut Valley communities as well as Concord and Manchester would likely enjoy economic benefits from frequent train service to Boston comparable to those enjoyed by the towns and cities along the Downeaster route. The more I look at this, the more it seems like a slam-dunk; only New Hampshire's perennial aversion to funding rail of any sort seems to stand in the way. What do y'all think?