Maine "Rare Mileage" train excursion coming up!

Maine Rail Group and the 470 Railroad Club of Portland are partners again this year in chartering a Maine Eastern Railroad passenger train.

The train will run on May 10 from Rockland to Augusta and return, with stops to board and discharge passengers at Wiscasset, Bath, Brunswick and Hallowell. It leaves the Rockland station at 7:30 a.m., Wiscasset, 8:40 a.m., Bath, 9:10 a.m. and Brunswick, 10 a.m.

Saturday's rare passenger trip, sponsored by the Maine Rail Group, the 470 Railroad Club, and the Maine Eastern Railroad, was not only to give train enthusiasts a thrill, but to raise awareness among Maine citizens about the economic impact the railroad industry has on the state, and how its pending expansion could benefit the state's economy.

The train departed early Saturday morning from Rockland's station, continued as far north into Augusta as it could, then returned to Hallowell, where the Maine Rail Group held its annual meeting at the City Hall.