Rail service to Boston inches closer

DOVER, N.H. – Seacoast residents may be a step closer to their dream of having passenger rail service, as platform construction begins as soon as next week.

Once all contracts are signed, the state Department of Transportation expects to begin construction so that platforms are in place by June 15 to allow Amtrak service between Boston and Portland, Maine.

The Dover City Council was to vote Wednesday to authorize City Manager Paul Beecher to secure a letter of agreement with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and Amtrak to operate a rail station at Chestnut Street.

The council also will give Beecher the authority to approve a lease with Guilford Rail Service to allow use of the rail right of way for a passenger platform. Nancy Mayville, the state Department of Transportation project manager, expects other communities will follow suit.