Status of grant-funded track work in Maine?

So this is Year 2 of PAR getting the Grants to do trackwork from Royal to Keag.So far nothing has been done.Nothing has been laid out yet this spring either.Isn't there usually a time frame on when the money must be used or the project gets done? Unless everything is on hold because of the CSX deal?

What with Amtrak wanting to add service in New England, and upgraded track though Northern Maine, it won't be long before we see the return of The Gull.

That was a you match it federal grant that i would assume that pan ma engineering put together and applied for without foreknowledge of timmys desire to sell the shooting match in 2020. i'm sure the word from above is now, going forward if csx wants to match it, then bless their hearts.

I’m told the grant $$ was slow to be released by the previous administration but it’s still a go. There have been numerous ballast trains using DJ-1 crews including one today with 13 loaded ballast cars working in the Winthrop/Readfield area. It’s a bit early yet for a Class II, you could see things heat up next month or June

Not sure any track work is happening now in D1 (saw photos the other day of ballast work in Portsmouth) but in the CSX application, they say that have an agreement in place with MeDOT to complete the 2 grant projects should the purchase go through

Heavily discounted trackwork, tough to go wrong!

Not sure how the priority of things goes but there is a track crew working up around Newport and I’m told (unconfirmed firsthand) another crew working up east on the Keag line somewhere.

Who really knows other than next year I’m sure a CSX blitz gang will make a visit.
I’m told several rail trains coming next year too, curious if it’ll be relay and what weight.

Those rail trains are in addition to the rail trains that will be coming for the grant work, right?

No as far as I know it is grant work related

It would surprise me if a government grant funded improvement project used relay rail instead of new.

But didn't Pan Am have to contribute to get the match? Relay rail is generally reconditioned and some you wouldn't know was used outside of the date stamp.

The CSX application says the grants that have been awarded consist of 75 track miles of CWR. I know the grant for west of Waterville in D1 included a bunch of CWR

The tie crew has so far worked between Enfield and Pittsfield in sections. NBM did Keag to Enfield last November and December. Pan Am has also been running a surfacing crew to reshape the current ballast, as well as spreading new ballast between Shaw Brook and Hermon Pond. MOW has also pretty much removed what is left of the 3 oos tracks which paralleled Route 2 from Coldbrook Rd to the cross over.

Have they started replacing any rail up that way? Thinking there's still a lot of 90 lbs sections North of Bangor/Old Town. Also, is Pan Am running up to Keag again or is all NBSR/MNR traffic still moving via CP at Northern Maine Jct? Thanks.

Not yet, I have heard rumors of a CWR drop this winter, and I know Herzog has been up here the past few weeks with a highrailer and a rail scanning truck, which has been primarily working the Bangor-Old Town section which has sections of CWR. Currently they are still interchanging at NMJ, but should be going back to Keag this fall. They were supposed to start last December, but the tie crew was unable to finish due to the onset of winter.