Proposed Rockland Service Confronts Another Obstacle
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- Created: 13 June 2024 13 June 2024
Trains Magazine published this month a detailed article on another obstacle preventing the startup of a pilot program for weekend service between Brunswick and Rockland.
ROCKLAND, Maine — Loss of a freight customer that supplied more than 95% of Midcoast Railservice’s revenue on the 57-mile Rockland branch leased from Maine’s Department of Transportation has prompted the Finger Lakes Railway subsidiary to exit the property.
The move upends plans the state, Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, and Amtrak had been working on with Midcoast to operate scheduled passenger service as an extension of the Boston-Brunswick, Me. Full story.
Rockland Harbor - TRN drone
Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA Executive Director, commented in the magazine article, “This development is disappointing, but we certainly understand the difficult decision made by Midcoast Railservice given the constraints they faced. NNEPRA continues to work with Amtrak and Maine DOT to explore options and determine next steps.”
F. Bruce Sleeper, President of TrainRiders, joined Ms. Quinn in lamenting the new development: "TrainRiders Northeast certainly understands the dilemma faced by Midcoast Rail service when its sole major shipper on Maine’s Rockland Branch closed. Midcoast is, after all, in the business of making a profit and the closure of that shipper makes that impossible unless and until a replacement is found, which will likely be a long and difficult project. TrainRiders is, however, disappointed that MidCoast has been forced to withdraw as the operator of the Rockland Branch because of these circumstances and hopes that this withdrawal will not have any negative consequences for the commencement of passenger rail service on that line."
Train's Magazine quotes MeDOT, "Maine DOT spokesman Paul Merrill tells News Wire the $3 million of pilot funding “is still in our Work Plan. We haven’t reached a final decision on the pilot project, but having Midcoast as an operator was a key component. Our work [with NNEPRA and Amtrak] to find interested operators and funding opportunities for a seasonal service will continue, but the absence of a freight operator on the line creates further headwinds.”
Hope springs eternal, however...
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Amtrak President Joins Our 35th Annual Meeting!
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- Created: 11 June 2024 11 June 2024
Our 35th Annual Meeting welcomed Amtrak President Roger Harris as our keynote speaker. Mr. Harris is a proven leader with more than 25 years of experience in the transportation industry.
Since April 2019, Mr. Harris has served as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Revenue, and Chief Commercial Officer.
He spoke knowingly about the Downeaster's success and its various proposed projects - a new Portland Station on the Main Line and a pilot program between Brunswick and Rockland this summer. Introduced by TRNE President F. Bruce Sleeper, Mr. Harris took questions in a live thirty-minute session via the Internet. Below is an edited version of his time with us.
Our thanks to Mr. Harris and his support team for making this happen.
The Downeaster is one of Maine's success stories, thanks in large part to TrainRider/Northeast's vision and NNEPRA's creative and professional management!
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David Swirk Brings Conway Scenic to Our 35th Annual Meeting
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- Created: 10 June 2024 10 June 2024
David Swirk, President and General Manager of Conway Scenic Railroad, headquartered in North Conway, runs a successful heritage train system in New Hampshire. With multiple trainsets and engines, including a steam locomotive, utilizing the NH portion of the Mountain Division that B&M operated from Portland to North Conway, the railroad hauls 160,000 tourists annually through the breathtaking White Mountains.
Rehabbing the NH section of the Mountain Division was a challenging but successful undertaking. Battling this year's ferocious storms that left deep scars in the well-maintained trackage was another challenge overcome by Mr. Swirk and his team at Conway Scenic. Adding the winter Snow Train has kept North Conway on the visitor's list year-round. At our meeting, Mr. Swirk showed a video about the winter train and the impressive work of keeping the tracks up-to-snuff, something that the railroad did primarily with its own equipment and employees.
Mr. Swirk is always on the lookout for expansion opportunities. Recently, Conway Scenic acquired VIP Tour & Charter Company to, among other things, move cruise ship passengers from Portland Harbor to North Conway for a rail excursion and return.
The Maine section of the Mountain Division had been in Mr. Swirk's sights as well. But recently, Maine's governor signed legislation that would rip up those tracks for a trail. The state is waiting for removal cost proposals. TrainRiders testified in opposition to that legislation, seeking to preserve the rail right-of-way for future use with the trail located alongside the tracks, not replacing them. That was not to be, but both TrainRiders and Mr. Swirk continue in their attempts to return rail operations to that line before the tracks are torn up away.
TrainRiders/Northeast - Changing the Way New England Travels.
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