MAINE - Amtrak's Downeaster has never lived up to supporters' expectations that it would be a tourist magnet. For the vast majority of its passengers, the train is a way to get to Boston, not Maine.

Just wait two years, supporters say.

In 2012, when the service is extended to Freeport and Brunswick, more residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire will ride the train north, said Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.

Quinn says Freeport will be the draw. About 3.5 million people visit Freeport each year, making it Maine's top tourist destination.

The Freeport and Brunswick train stations will be in walkable downtowns, Quinn said, ideally situated for tourists who want to leave their cars at home.

In contrast, visitors who arrive at Portland's station on Sewall Street must ride cabs or Metro buses to get downtown. Quinn said the location has made it difficult to market Portland as a tourist destination for train riders.

The Obama administration announced last week that it will award the rail authority $35 million in federal stimulus funds to extend Downeaster service north to Brunswick. The extension is part of an $8 billion plan to develop a nationwide system of high-speed intercity passenger rail.