Residents: Keep rail in Aroostook County, Maine

The more than 60 people who attended a meeting to discuss the development of the Maine Rail Plan told state officials that the most pressing statewide and regional rail issue facing them is the fear that Aroostook County may lose vital railroad track in the near future, according to the Bangor Daily News. The crowd gathered at the University of Maine at Presque Isle to take advantage of the only opportunity for county residents to weigh in on the immediate future of Maine railroads.

The
state has hired consulting firm HNTB Corp. to formulate the Maine Rail Plan to
serve as a blueprint for improving rail access in the state for both freight
and passengers. The Westbrook-based firm is conducting research to determine
both the capacity the state’s system already has and what is possible in the
future. HNTB intends to present a draft of its plan, which is required by
federal rules if the state is to be eligible for federal rail funding, by
December.

David
Cole, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, assured the crowd
that the state wants to do more than just meet the requirements of federal law.

"We
want to make a plan that meets the needs of businesses, shippers and others,"
he said.

One
person who attended said she wanted to see the state bring passenger rail
service to the county. She noted that rail would be able to run in all weather
conditions, enabling motorists to travel in poor weather and avoid striking
moose and other wildlife on roadways. Others stressed it was vital to keep rail
service reliable and cost effective. The majority of those who attended said
they are most concerned that Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway desires to
sell or abandon its tracks between Millinocket and Madawaska.

The
241 miles of track are about half of what the railway, formerly Bangor &
Aroostook Railroad, owns in the state. The lines are used by freight trains
transporting products such as pulpwood, heating fuels, wood chips and cooking
oil in northern Penobscot and Aroostook counties. Trains travel the line two or
three times per week, according to company officials.

The
tracks and land are worth about $17 million. Upgrading the tracks would cost an
estimated $6 million, and the annual maintenance expense would total about $2.5
million.

At
this point, the company is asking the state to consider buying the tracks and
maintaining them. Citing the economic downturn and heavy losses, company
officials suggested that the state’s purchase of rail service would be the best
possible solution. A decision on the matter is not yet final. The legal process
for abandoning rail lines takes between eight and 12 months.

"We
are looking at the real possibility of being without a rail system if MMA
abandons it," said an audience member. "Our most pressing regional issue is to
maintain the amount of rail we have here."

Others
agreed, describing the rail system as a lifeline to the area. They insisted
that the state should invest in rail as it invests in roads.

Speaking
on behalf of the Loring Development Authority, Diane Martin, executive
assistant at the Loring Applied Technology Center, told state officials the
railroad is a major asset to the state. She said the LDA frequently is asked
about regional rail service by potential businesses looking to set up shop in the
county.

"We
want rail service to continue," Martin said.

Larry
Clark, executive director of the Presque Isle Industrial Council, agreed. He
said it is "imperative and essential" that the rail system be preserved.

Others
said that the state has to do more to market the existing rail service, saying
the right marketing would increase the number of rail shipments in and out of
the area. They maintained that a variety of products could be shipped to and
from the county.

HNTB
officials said there would be another round of hearings in November or December
after the draft rail plan is complete.