Since I moved to DC, I have grown to love trains and public transportation in general, but I started to love the Downeaster even before I moved. This train works well for a couple reasons, most of which you mentioned. Boston is the only, and nearest, metropolitan area, so even though Maine is light on population, there is a clear destination. Also, most of Maine’s (and New Hampshire’s) population falls right around the Downeaster’s tracks.

I think another reason, though, is that while Maine is rural, and we have been hit by sprawl, most areas in Maine and New England really hit their stride before automobiles became big, and started falling behind the rest of the country not long after. Virtually all of the towns the Downeaster goes through, in all three states, are former industrial towns that have very tight town centers. Historically, most of the towns the Downeaster goes through also had trolley lines. If suburbia truly becomes a thing of the past, New England already has solid downtown cores to grow back into and to run things like train lines through for effective regional service.