Passenger Rail Coming to GRS Rails on Lower Road

[Image:METrain.jpg]The State of Maine, Guilford Transportation Industries
and the Maine Eastern Railroad are working together to develop a passenger
rail excursion pilot project this summer from Portland and Brunswick and
Rockland along Guilford’s lines and Maine DOT’s Rockland Branch. This
passenger rail pilot project will introduce the first rail passengers to
this rail line since the 1960’s.

[Image:JohnSandersME.jpg]"Our objective is to begin to demonstrate the
future potential for passenger rail service along this corridor -- to
Freeport and Brunswick and eventually Lewiston-Auburn. For this summer
the excursions will likely be built around festivals, special events, and
cruise ship dockings in Rockland or elsewhere. Guilford’s willingness to
give access to Maine Eastern for these excursions is a pivotal first step."
- Governor John Baldacci, June 2, 2004

I have read these articles about this and I must ask....Are we in the bizzaro world here? Guilford is actually promoting passenger service over their tracks? We all know how Guilford has felt towards passenger service over the years....

late 1980s - excursions stop on Guilford due to strike, other problems

c 1989 - Amtrak seizes Conn River Line from Guilford due to poor track conditions, sells to Central Vermont (now-NECR)

2000-2002 - Amtrak and Guilford debate over Boston-Portland service, including among other items: weight of rail, ballast

2003-2004 - Amtrak and Guilford debate over speed issues of Bos-Por service.


So now, all of a sudden, Guilford is willing to have passenger service over its lines? And not the mainline either, but a line which has deteriorated to 10 MPH service. Amazing to me this all seems. Maybe Guilford decided to "give in". Either that, or they're getting $$$ from MeDOT for running these trains.

-Jay Hogan

You hit the nail on the head "GRS will be getting some $$$$$$$$$" in return for the state to expand on it's fantasy of running excursions up to Rockland. $$$$$$$$ is what GRS holds out for.

I have a feeling Guilford is (smartly) hoping to get the $$$ for improvements that will last many years, while the service itself is minimal and / or doesn't last very long.

On Yahoo GRS forum,4 Acadian RR cars enroute to East Deerfield to move to Brunswick Me. Something must be in the works.

Word on various Yahoo Groups is that an M&E Alco and former Acadian passenger cars are on there way to Brunswick, ME

The trains will orginate in Brunswick, and won't use GRS trackage over the Brunswick Branch(nee Low Road) to Portland becasue, according to an NNEPRA spokesman, Guilford requested 75 million dollars in liability insurance to cover operations of the train on it's track. That, according to NNEPRA, would have cost over 200,000 dollars a DAY for each day the train operated. ME's insurance will cover operations along the Rockland Branch, and the state, which owns the track, has not asked for higher coverage.
(from Atlantic Northeast Rails & Ports e-issue 13 July)