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L.B. Foster Co. recently received a $5.3 million contract from the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNERPA) to supply 5,561 tons of rail for the Downeaster-Portland North Project.

NNERPA is using a $35 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help fund the project’s 26.4-mile track rehabilitation and expansion between Portland and Brunswick, Maine. The new Downeaster line will help improve Amtrak service within the region and south to Boston.

Construction of the Downeaster-Portland North project began in July and is expected to be complete by 2012’s end.

Currently, trains on the line operate at top speeds of 79 mph; longer term, NNERPA officials envision trains operating at speeds up to 90 mph or 110 mph.