A southbound Downeaster pulls up to the train station at the Portland Transportation Center on April 18. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
Amtrak is investing $50 million into safety measures for the Amtrak Downeaster, including automatic braking technology.
Railroad company CSX already has begun work on the more than 100 miles of tracks between Brunswick and Haverhill, Massachusetts. Amtrak expects work to be completed in spring 2026.
It was not clear if the work will result in delays to service.
“CSX will work with Amtrak during the construction phase to try and minimize any disruptions to Amtrak’s service,” CSX spokesperson Sheriee Bowman said.
Called positive train control, or PTC, the safety technology uses GPS and sensors to automatically stop trains before they collide or derail.
CSX describes PTC as a “safety overlay system.” It works by first alerting train crews to possible collisions or derailments. Then, if the crew does not take action to stop the train, PTC kicks in and brings the train to a stop.
The project also will add signals and wayside units – systems that help staff detect rail defects and train degradation – to the track.
The signal system is more than 70 years old in some parts of the track, Amtrak said. Amtrak decided not to install PTC technology in 2019 after determining it wasn’t needed at the time.
“In addition to the significant safety improvements, the installation of PTC creates opportunities for potential increases in Downeaster frequencies in the future,” Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, said in a prepared statement. “This is an important investment and we are grateful to Amtrak and CSX for their partnership.”
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