Amtrak will continue to service the Downeaster route from Massachusetts to Maine despite the rail line not having an automatic braking technology.
The Downeaster line is not required to have the technology — positive train control — because fewer than 12 trips per day run on the line, according to Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which contracts with Amtrak to run the Downeaster.
“Amtrak has gone through a review of all lines, even those that aren’t required to have [positive train control], and conducted safety assessments and there are no risks associated with the Downeaster line,” Quinn said. “The route is not in jeopardy at all.”
