The Amtrak Downeaster will restart limited service on Monday, two months after suspending all passenger trains in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A single round trip between Brunswick and Boston is planned in the first phase of service restoration, said the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in a statement.

A southbound train will leave Brunswick at 4:15 a.m. and reach Boston by 7:50 a.m. The northbound train leaves Boston North Station at 5 p.m. and reaches Brunswick at 8:15 p.m.

At present, a date for subsequent trips has not been set but the NNEPRA board of directors will meet in June to evaluate whether to add more daily trips.

Train equipment on Downeaster trips will undergo enhanced cleaning before and after each trip.

Trains will run at 50 percent seating capacity to create enough room between passengers, and passengers will be required to wear face coverings while boarding and moving about the train.

Cash will not be accepted and the cafe car will be closed, as will all station facilities – passengers should proceed directly to outdoor platforms to wait for their train.


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