Downeaster gives boost to bus line

PORTLAND – The bus line that shares a new Portland terminal with Amtrak’s Downeaster says the rail passenger service that began last December has boosted ridership on its own runs between Portland and Boston.

“The train has brought such pizzazz to the area that it has brought more awareness to our company,” said Ken Hunter, vice president of transportation for Concord Trailways.

The Downeaster’s backers had long predicted that passenger trains would lure riders from automobiles rather than from buses.

Concord Trailways officials say bus ridership between Boston and Portland is up about 5 percent this year.

The bus company has benefited from the infrastructure at the new Portland Transportation Center as well as the new attention the train service has brought to the area, Hunter said.

Concord and Amtrak are also sharing customers, as some people are taking a bus one way and are returning by train.

Officials at Concord Trailways and the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority share the common goal of getting people to take public transportation, says Dana Knapp, the Maine division manager for Concord Trailways.

“That’s what we are fighting against – the automobile,” he said.