Town officials are looking to renew a push to invest in improvements to the Exeter train station at 60 Lincoln St., which has been described as “far and away the barest” on Amtrak’s Downeaster line.

“It’s a shame, and I’ve been saying it for years now, when it comes to available amenities and comfort in comparison to all of the other Downeaster stops, Exeter isn’t at the bottom of the list, we are the bottom of the list,” said Darren Winham, Exeter’s economic development director. “There’s no bathrooms, buildings or even a wind break for when it’s freezing out.”

The Amtrak Downeaster connects Boston with Brunswick, Maine, with three stops in New Hampshire: Dover, Durham and Exeter. It is managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), a Maine state agency.

“NNEPRA is fully supportive of Exeter’s efforts to improve station facilities,” said Patricia Quinn, the Rail Authority’s executive director. “We are working with Exeter to help fund some repairs and maintenance items at the current platform.”

Quinn said rail communities from Brunswick, Maine, to Boston — with the exception of Portland, Maine — have agreed to pay for maintenance of their stations. Capital improvements to Exeter’s station, she added, would be outside the scope of the Rail Authority.

Winham wrote a recent capital improvement project proposal to spend $50,000 on architectural design, engineering, permitting, surveying and site assessments in 2027. Town leaders hope a study could reveal the cost of a future renovation.

The effort to improve the station will be the charge of the newly reconstituted Train Committee, a move unanimously approved by the Select Board at its meeting on Sept. 2.

“Because Exeter is one of the busiest stations on the line, the economic opportunities abound, especially if we can invest in the site and better market ourselves as a destination,” Winham said. “To do so, we’ll need to figure a way to increase parking and find a realistic solution for transportation to our downtown, but with the growing interest in this asset, I believe the worm is slowly beginning to turn.”

The capital improvement proposal included handicapped-accessible bathrooms, informational kiosks, an indoor waiting area, a host office, bike racks and potential space for the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Even if you don’t take the train, the station matters to you and the local economy,” said Jennifer Wheeler, the chamber’s president. “As one of the busiest stops on the Downeaster, an updated welcoming station benefits our local economy and serves as a gateway to the community we call ‘home.’” “My perspective is that the train station is truly an asset to the town, and I recognize that there is a need for improvements,” said Select Board Chair Niko Papakonstantis. “The expectation is that the reinstated train committee will assist the Select Board in identifying what improvements we can make inexpensively in the short term while also seeking grant opportunities for other improvements that may not be as low hanging.”

While larger improvements are debated, Public Works Director Steve Cronin is finalizing an application to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority for a State of Good Repair initiative.

Once the application is approved, substantial repair work, of which 80% will be funded by the Rail Authority, can begin. The town will pay for the remaining 20%.

“The biggest piece of it is repairs to the upper platform,” Cronin said, adding that concrete had begun to degrade, causing the tactile warning strips to delaminate.

“The other stuff is some minor cosmetic things, like repairs to the gutters, repairs to some of the columns and woodwork out there, some brush-cutting, that type of stuff,” he added.

The Public Works Department currently maintains the station, taking care of painting and sporadic repairs. According to the town’s budget, it spent $32,259 on the station in 2024, a figure that includes electricity, supplies, liability insurance, the cost of the lease and more.

The town spent $19,632 and $24,522 in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Cronin said he supports efforts to make larger-scale improvements to the station — an effort in which the Public Works Department would provide input on infrastructure needs and maintenance.

The Exeter Planning Board moved the capital improvement project proposals forward at a meeting in late August.

The proposals will now be considered by the town Budget Committee before progressing to the Select Board.

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