PORTLAND – After a highly successful inaugural year, Amtrak’s Downeaster experienced a sharp drop in ridership in the first two months of 2003, prompting renewed emphasis on the need to boost the train’s speed.

Uncertainty about the economy, bad weather, terrorism alerts and prospects of war in the Middle East all contributed to a 22 percent drop in ridership in January and a 32 percent drop in February, officials said.

The rail authority, which operates the Portland-to-Boston service, had anticipated a decline after the first-year luster faded.

“It’s the service maturing. We’re steadying out,” said John Englert, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.

The transportation industry across the board was hurt by those additional factors, ranging from heavy snowfall to terrorism to fears of a U.S.-led war in Iraq that materialized last week, Englert said.

The rail authority has launched a promotion allowing kids to travel free and seniors half price this spring, a slow time for travel. After Memorial Day, passenger traffic is expected to grow.

The drop in ridership demonstrates the importance of boosting the speed from 60 mph to 79 mph, said Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel.

The rail authority continues to be mired in a dispute with the owner of the track between Portland and Plaistow, N.H., over whether it’s safe for the Downeaster to operate at the higher speed.

Amtrak’s experience in other markets shows that higher speeds would boost the Down-easter’s ridership, Stessel said.

“The objective of the service is to offer an attractive option to driving or taking a bus. Seventy-nine miles per hour would allow us to do that. Sixty is just a little too slow,” he said from Washington.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board ruled in favor of the higher speed on Jan. 31, but the track’s owner, Guilford Rail System, has asked the panel to reconsider. That means the speed won’t be increased any time soon.

David Fink, Guilford’s vice president, declined to comment. In documents, Guilford repeated its assertion that the 115-pound track used in a $48 million upgrade was insufficient to support Amtrak trains traveling at 79 mph.

Amtrak, the Federal Railway Administration and the rail authority say Amtrak trains operate safely on 115-pound rail across the country.

Englert, from the rail authority, said the factors that hurt the Downeaster have affected all carriers, including airlines and buses. He said that the Downeaster is actually doing better than the industry average.

“It’s a real tough time out there right now and everyone’s feeling the squeeze,” he said.

For now, Englert said he’s not too concerned because the Downeaster already is seeing an improvement in March and the spring promotions should further help boost ridership before the busy summer season.

“The train is here to stay,” Englert said. “And these issues of the economy, the weather and terrorism are all business problems that we’ll work through.”

The Downeaster went into operation on Dec. 15, 2001, with four daily trips in each direction between Portland and Boston’s North Station.

Stops include Saco and Wells in Maine; Dover, Durham and Exeter in New Hampshire; and Haverhill and Woburn in Massachusetts. Seasonal stops in Old Orchard Beach will begin on May 1.