Railroad Forums
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artman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 11:53 am Company wants to begin service this May.
Another company has proposed an excursion train from Brunswick to Rockland that would include a fine-dining car, marking the latest attempt to revive passenger service on the 57-mile Rockland Branch.UmmmHmmm.. Why is this flashing in my mind?
UmmmHmmm.. Why is this flashing in my mind?They seem to be slightly more legit since they have some people with actual transit experience in their leadership, but they're also a "bit more aggressive" in their vision: https://ameristarrail.com/vision & https://ameristarrail.com/proposals
The AmeriStarRail (ASR) proposal will expand Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) capacity to meet travel demand for the next 20 - 40 years.
Goddraug wrote: ↑Tue Jan 23, 2024 5:55 pm Wouldn't they have to compete with the planned Amtrak service and whatever Midcoast has cooking up post-RDC? I feel like having three operators on the line (Amtrak, Midcoast, and these guys) would be a bit crowded.Midcoast seems game:
The company would need to reach a deal with Midcoast Railservice, ...has been running commercial freight on the line and tested a 76-passenger excursion train during the summer tourist season last year ahead of a planned weekend rollout, but the announced closure of the Dragon Products cement plant in Rockland last year and equipment issues with its passenger car have thrown a wrench in its plans. Dragon Products represents 90% of the company’s freight traffic.
“We’re willing to talk,” said George Betke, Midcoast Railservice’s co-founder and vice president. “We want to see trains running.”
