Interesting. So it sounds like this would follow the Downeaster route from Portland to just past Haverhill, then cut west to Lowell and southwest to Worchester. Presumably at that point it follows the former NEC "inland" route to Springfield and down to New Haven, where it joins the NEC into NYP.

You have to wonder if this will actually result in a significantly faster trip than doing the current BOS cross-town shuffle and catching a high-speed NER or Acela train there. Certainly the hassle factor would be much lower for people heading to/from Maine, and there's a lot to be said for that. At most I can see this being a once or twice-a-day NEC-extension such as those on the south end to Lynchburg, Newport News, or Norfolk, VA.