Saco Transportation Center

Saco Transportation Center, also referred to as Saco or Saco–Biddeford in some timetables, is a passenger transportation station in Saco, Maine, served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system, and other transportation providers. On average, about 110 passengers daily board or alight Amtrak's Downeaster service at the station, making it the third-busiest stop in Maine.^[2] The station is located next to the Pan Am Railways mainline, formerly the Western Route mainline of the Boston & Maine Railroad.

Saco, ME
New station building, shortly after opening in 2009
General information
Location	138 Main Street Saco, Maine United States
Coordinates	43°29′46″N 70°26′57″W
Owned by	City of Saco
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	BSOOB Transit
Construction
Parking	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: SAO
History
Opened	2001 (platform), 2009 (station)
Passengers
FY 2023	56,431[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Wells toward Boston North Downeaster Old Orchard Beach toward Brunswick
Former services Preceding station Boston and Maine Railroad Following station Biddeford toward Boston Western Route Old Orchard Beach toward Portland
Location

The train platform was constructed in 2001, and the station building was constructed in 2008 and opened in 2009. The station, at 138 Main Street, is owned by the City of Saco.^[3] The station is notable for being the first green design train station in the U.S. When it was built, it featured a wind turbine for electricity, geothermal heating and cooling systems, and a roof made from recycled soda bottles;^[4][5] however, the wind turbine, which cost the city about $200,000, did not produce the expected amount of electricity, and was shut down in 2006 after safety concerns.^[6] It was removed in November 2018.^[7]

References

1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Maine" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
2. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2010, State of Maine" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
3. Gotthelf, Liz (17 July 2019). "Saco Main Street, part of Shuttlebus, to move into train station". Press Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
4. "Wind-Powered Station Opens in Saco" (PDF). Amtrak Ink. Amtrak. April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-20.
5. "Saco has four bidders to build environmentally friendly station". Archived from the original on 2007-12-08. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
6. Quimby, Beth (21 July 2010). "Saco finds turbine is a turn for the worse". Press Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
7. Gotthelf, Liz (30 November 2018). "Down wind: Saco removes wind turbine". Press Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2020.

Gallery

• 
  The wind turbine at the Station used to offset power use.
• 
  The station from the parking lots

External links

Media related to Saco Transportation Center at Wikimedia Commons

• Saco, ME – Amtrak
• Saco, ME – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Saco – Amtrak Downeaster
• Saco-Biddeford Amtrak Station – USA Rail Guide (TrainWeb)