ME: Maine seeks new operator to revive Rockland Branch rail line

The Maine Department of Transportation is seeking a new operator to restore freight service to the Rockland Branch rail line — and possibly fulfill a yearslong effort to extend Amtrak Downeaster passenger service from Brunswick to Rockland.

The freight line has been without an operator since Midcoast Railservice announced in June that it would terminate its lease on the 57-mile, state-owned railroad after its primary customer, Dragon Cement in Thomaston, ceased production.

Midcoast's exit scuttled Amtrak's plan to offer two round trips daily from Brunswick to Rockland this past summer — a pilot project that was bolstered by a $500,000 federal grant from the Biden administration.

If the Department of Transportation finds an operator that meets its requirements for a 10-year agreement, Amtrak remains interested in providing passenger service along a route with captivating views of the rocky coast and serene woodlands.

"We're very supportive of the request for proposals," said Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, the agency that operates the Downeaster.

Quinn said extending Amtrak service from Brunswick to Rockland has long been part of the authority's strategic plan.

Lease proposals must be submitted by Oct. 25 and may call for seasonal or year-round passenger service that either connects to or is provided by the Downeaster, which runs from Boston to Brunswick.

"Whoever is selected to be the operator will determine next steps associated with providing passenger rail service on the Rockland Branch," Quinn said.

Midcoast had leased the line from 2022 through 2025 and had considered running weekend passenger excursions. Built in the 1870s, the line was refurbished in 2004 and hosted several passenger lines until 2015.

The Midcoast region is ripe for passenger service, especially in the summer months, when daytime traffic congestion can make driving along Route 1 a challenge, said Tom Wilhite, a former Hollywood executive who retired to Camden 15 years ago.

He noted the influx of new residents during and after the pandemic and Rockland's effort to boost cruise ship traffic. He and his partner regularly ride the Downeaster from Brunswick to Boston and would relish starting closer to home.

"We've seen the Midcoast diversify and change in recent years, including people from other places who are used to public transportation," Wilhite said. "The Rockland Branch is a major asset of the state and it should be utilized."

The request for proposals was posted Sept. 20 on the state website under the Office of Freight and Passenger Services, Department of Transportation spokesman Paul Merrill said. It wasn't available Wednesday on the department's list of active requests for proposals.

The state's request lists possible freight customers such as the Bath Iron Works' Hardings Plant in Brunswick, American Steel and Aluminum in West Bath, Dicaperl Minerals in Thomaston and O'Hara Lobster Bait in Rockland.

The request specifically seeks operators who are interested in hosting a two-year Amtrak pilot service over the Rockland Branch that would include:

• Year-round, twice-daily trips between Brunswick and Bath, Monday through Friday, to serve Bath Iron Works.
• Seasonal, May through October, two to three trips daily, Thursday through Sunday, between Brunswick and Rockland.

The host railroad would be expected to limit freight operations and other passenger excursions when Amtrak trains are present, according to the state's request. Freight service likely would have to occur at night and other passenger excursions likely would be limited to Monday through Wednesday.

The request offers a wide range of operational options that could help make passenger service economically feasible without freight, said Julie Hashem, Rockland's community development director.

"The ultimate goal would be to have year-round daily passenger service," Hashem said. "The Rockland Branch is an important link in the regional transit system and it would make Rockland a destination on the national map."

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