The Amtrak Downeaster broke ridership records in 2023. Lots of people ride the train, but the Downeaster has a problem.

Since mass transit expanded beyond Portland with stops in Freeport and Brunswick, the current Portland Transportation Center is no longer an efficient place for passengers to board and disembark.

The center is located off the main CSX Transportation line, so to board and disembark passengers, the train must pull in and then pull out to continue on to Freeport and Brunswick. This process takes about 15 minutes and saves valuable time in the train schedule.

The New England Passenger Rail Authority announced this week that it has selected a possible site to build a new station on St. John Street in Portland, not far from where the Mountain Division branch line currently used to the Transportation Center connects to the main line.

Here’s a concept image of what the station would look like. It would have two platforms, one on each track, and passengers would be able to transfer from one side to the other via a pedestrian bridge that also leads to the Mercy Hospital grounds.

NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn told News Center Maine that a formal recommendation for the site will be made in about a week. She also said this new location would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel and labor costs.

However, nothing is set in stone yet. But this concept of the new station seems to be exactly what the Downeaster needs to be even more comfortable for passengers.