On November 18, 2025, leaders of Greater Portland’s regional transit system convened for a trip to Brunswick, ME. They took Greater Portland Metro BREEZ bus from the Portland Transportation Center to the Amtrak Downeaster’s Brunswick Layover Facility, an overnight maintenance facility for trains. There, NNEPRA’s Special Projects Manager and local Amtrak leadership gave a tour of the facility and explained the types of operations that occur there, as well as the training and certification requirements necessary for Amtrak crews to operate on the railroad.

The group then boarded a train for Brunswick Station, where they visited the Brunswick Maine Visitor Center. They boarded the train once more to head back to Portland on Train 684. During the trip, the group spoke with the Amtrak crew and café staff, learning about some of the offerings and successes that make the Downeaster corridor unique.

This outing comprised members of the Transit Task Force (TTF). The TTF is an advisory working group for the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Greater Portland region. The TTF currently includes Greater Portland Metro, Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit (BSOOB), Casco Bay Lines, Regional Transportation Program (RTP), York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC), Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), and MaineDOT, and is hosted and organized by Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) staff.