by gokeefe
The impending expansion of Amtrak Downeaster Service to Brunswick has opened up the possibility of regularly scheduled passenger rail service to the far southern end of the former Maine Central Augusta Lower Road, which is now owned by the State of Maine and operated by the Maine Eastern as part of their overall contract for service on the Rockland Branch.
The Augusta Lower Road has a long history of service to Central Maine and served as a major part of the Maine Central's freight and passenger operations up until about the time of the sale of the company to Guilford Rail System, which now does business as Pan Am Railways. Although many state owned rail corridors in Maine have been sucessfully rehabilitated, rebuilt and restored to operation the Augusta Lower has not yet been selected for substantial capital investment as have its cousins to the west and east of it, the Lewiston Lower Road and the Rockland Branch.
The Lower Road occupies a special position in Maine. It runs along the main north-south transportation axis, crossing through the state capital in Augusta. It is one of only two north-south rail links in Maine, the other being the generally rural Back Road from Lewiston through Winthrop to Waterville and points north. It is roughly equidistant from the boundaries of the populated areas in Maine in the west and the east. It runs in tandem directions to daily commuter flows in the area which are roughly north-south to/from Portland area and to/from Augusta.
The ROW alignment is better positioned and built than other similar branch lines that have been restored to service owing to its longer period in active service after the Guilford takeover and its status as a Maine Central trunk for the better part of a century. In the last few years construction of the Kennebec River Rail Trail has successfully created new pedestrians spaces in the vicinity of the line making it more accessible to the community in general for future passenger service.
Some open questions for discussion at this time include but are not limited to:
Is there a market for commuter service on the Lower Road connecting to the Amtrak Downeaster in Brunswick or even going all the way to Bath for BIW employees?
Where would the stations be?
What could/would/should the service frequency be?
What type of equipment would be used for service?
How much infrastructure restoration needs to occur for service to begin?
Is the Automatic Block Signal (ABS) system that is in place worth restoring to operation and if so why?
What are some potential customers for freight service if any?
How long after service arrives in Brunswick will it take for service on the Augusta Lower Road to begin?
The Lower Road is a vital part of Maine's transportation infrastructure that has been dormant for decades. Although there have been some light freight and excursion services on the line, there really hasn't been serious freight traffic since ca. 1984 and no scheduled passenger service since 1960. Serious consideration should be given to the potential this corridor has for Maine's future economic and community development.
The Augusta Lower Road has a long history of service to Central Maine and served as a major part of the Maine Central's freight and passenger operations up until about the time of the sale of the company to Guilford Rail System, which now does business as Pan Am Railways. Although many state owned rail corridors in Maine have been sucessfully rehabilitated, rebuilt and restored to operation the Augusta Lower has not yet been selected for substantial capital investment as have its cousins to the west and east of it, the Lewiston Lower Road and the Rockland Branch.
The Lower Road occupies a special position in Maine. It runs along the main north-south transportation axis, crossing through the state capital in Augusta. It is one of only two north-south rail links in Maine, the other being the generally rural Back Road from Lewiston through Winthrop to Waterville and points north. It is roughly equidistant from the boundaries of the populated areas in Maine in the west and the east. It runs in tandem directions to daily commuter flows in the area which are roughly north-south to/from Portland area and to/from Augusta.
The ROW alignment is better positioned and built than other similar branch lines that have been restored to service owing to its longer period in active service after the Guilford takeover and its status as a Maine Central trunk for the better part of a century. In the last few years construction of the Kennebec River Rail Trail has successfully created new pedestrians spaces in the vicinity of the line making it more accessible to the community in general for future passenger service.
Some open questions for discussion at this time include but are not limited to:
Is there a market for commuter service on the Lower Road connecting to the Amtrak Downeaster in Brunswick or even going all the way to Bath for BIW employees?
Where would the stations be?
What could/would/should the service frequency be?
What type of equipment would be used for service?
How much infrastructure restoration needs to occur for service to begin?
Is the Automatic Block Signal (ABS) system that is in place worth restoring to operation and if so why?
What are some potential customers for freight service if any?
How long after service arrives in Brunswick will it take for service on the Augusta Lower Road to begin?
The Lower Road is a vital part of Maine's transportation infrastructure that has been dormant for decades. Although there have been some light freight and excursion services on the line, there really hasn't been serious freight traffic since ca. 1984 and no scheduled passenger service since 1960. Serious consideration should be given to the potential this corridor has for Maine's future economic and community development.
gokeefe