CPF66 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 9:49 am
Who wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 7:49 am
The Conway Scenic has expressed interest in the branch south of Conway, hopefully the state doesn't shut the door on their face like MEDOT did last year for the Mt. Division.
That was entirely Conway Scenic's fault. The state held multiple rail trail committee meetings and no one from the railroad showed up. Mind you those started back in 2018. Until two years ago they were still proposing a rail with trail, however since no rail operators had expressed an interest to save money, that plan was scrapped and they opted to just make a trail. If Conway Scenic really wanted the line, they should have objected in 2021. Waiting until the 11th hour to come forward at the trail committee funding meeting after the trail had already been finalized was bad planning on the railroads part. They can fight it in court all they want, but I don't see a judge siding with them since they failed to enter a bid for the operation during the past few cycles.
If you are referring to the Mountain Division in ME, the Conway Scenic was at those meetings when things kicked off in 2021 but were never given the opportunity to speak. The one meeting where they were given the floor to speak, they had only a few minutes to plead their case. The state of Maine never submitted request for proposals, they jumped right into a rail trail when they realized how much it would cost to keep the rails in place. But, either way it's over and done with, ME is going to tear up their tracks, the Conway Scenic now owns a bus company to shuttle their customers and in addition to that, the bus company has established bus routes in and out of Portland, which is another steady stream of income.
Now the Conway Scenic is interested in the Conway Branch, whatever their reason is, I do not know, they haven't gone public with their intentions, and it seems to be a recent development.