High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Downeaster is a 116-mile (187 km) regional passenger train service managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) and operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. With five daily round trips, the route carries 500,000 passengers annually, and was Amtrak`s fastest-growing service in fiscal years 2006 and 2008.