Maine group seeks better freight service

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Group seeks better freight service

By TUX TURKEL, Portland Press Herald Writer

A group of anonymous Maine companies is pushing for legislation to help improve the quality, availability and dependability of rail freight service to their factories and mills.

Read the rest of the article at:

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/busin ... road.shtml

It sounds like a good idea,

NS wouldn't even want to have access to Waterville? I think that is kind of strange because on NS's annual report, it shows that it has trackage rights all the way up to Waterville. I think it would make sense if they bought that with the original Boston and Maine trackage. It's kind of like buying half the property....

NS

Over the years, you here about Guilford and Bad service, and I just have to scratch my head an wonder, what is their deal?

I'll be the first to admit that Maine's Industrial Economy is not in great shape, and, in my opinion, has been worsening over the years, but that being said, it still seems that at least on the MEC served branch lines with paper mills, that better service would earn the company more money. Isn't that what running a business is about? Earning money? I have heard that Guilford (BM/MEC/ST) was purchased and formed by Mellon & Co. for the Real Estate & Fiber Optic ROW leases that came with the purchase, and they could care less about the real RR operation. SO sell the thing to someone who wants to run a railroad and make some money, and keep your real estate and fiber optic leases out of the package., if that is where the real profit comes from.

Heck, If I had the $$$$, I would by the MEC lines and invest some service into the business, and I bet you would have a nice little operation going. The State seems to be willing to invest infrastructure dollars in the rails, and I think a smart exec. could really make something happen.

I am questioning the management philosiphy, not the employees or those responsible for operation, as the repeated issues Guilford seem to suffer are in my mind a management problem.

Brooks

Why wouldn't they want the MEC lines?? Seems most of the actual business is up there in Maine. Everything in MA seems to just be through traffic. In Maine there is an actual product being produced. You'd think that is where the money is.

Besides, Guilford seems too stubborn to ever be bought out... but it boggles my mind they'd rather run their railroad the way they do than try to improve things.

NS

Hey, let's hope it happens. I know there are plenty of folks who hate NS just as much as some people hate Guilford, but I don't see how NS could possibly be worse. At least the train crews would have better, more reliable equipment to work with, and if NS upgrades the tracks, it won't take the crews an entire day just to get from one end of the tunnel to the other.

It has often been said that the MEC is where the money is, not the B&M. Therefore it makes perfect sense that Guilford would want to hang onto it.