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Mountain Division Rail Line is not a Bridge to Nowhere

October 15, 2008 - PORTLAND -- With gas prices falling over the past several weeks, it's easy to dismiss the idea that we are headed toward a mobility crisis.

This short-sighted thinking may explain why town leaders in Windham recently thrashed the idea of re-establishing the Mountain Division Rail Line between Portland and North Conway, N.H.

The Maine Department of Transportation recently paid $800,000 for the last five-mile stretch – in South Windham – needed to re-establish train service between Portland and Fryeburg and beyond.

While this news has generated excitement among residents living in other communities along the line, some town officials in Windham and elsewhere have dismissed the idea as "impractical and nostalgic."

They point to a state-funded study which concluded that the line doesn't have the population density needed to sustain passenger service nor would it be able to provide regular, low-cost, direct-delivery freight service required by most commercial and industrial users.

The consulting firm, HNTB, which did the study, didn't rule out commuter rail service. Instead, it suggested several actions could lead to and facilitate a viable commuter service. This would include encouraging greater residential density along the rail corridor, especially near potential commuter rail stations and building a Portland rail terminal closer to the main employment centers on the Portland Peninsula thus reducing transfers.

HNTB also postulated that the Mountain Division could potentially serve several gravel pits and rock quarries located on or very close to the line. Other commodities such as cement, propane, building material and petroleum products may have some small potential as well.

The study also examined the feasibility of a tourist excursion service and concluded that the Mountain Division may have a promising future as a key link in a regional, tourist-oriented rail system carrying groups of passengers enjoying a land cruise experience while participating in varied tourist activities. Although the trip itself is an attraction, North Conway offers a variety of venues.

Rail tourists could transfer to the Conway Scenic Railroad's run through Crawford Notch.

Mountain bikers and winter sport enthusiasts could also use the service if they could store bikes and skis on board.

The cruise ship industry is seeking new tourist destinations for passengers who disembark in Portland for the day.

More than 30 large ships docked in Portland this year, and the number is expected to rise as the cruise ship industry seeks closer ports of call in the wake of soaring fuel costs.

Innovative marketing of various tour packages that include arrangements for local transportation between the train, lodgings and tourist destinations could open up unlimited possibilities.

While the naysayers dismiss this is as wishful thinking, the state of Maine needs to take the next step to explore how it can raise the money to upgrade the tracks to meet federal standards.

This would allow for 60 mph passenger service and 50 mph freight service. Push-pull diesel equipment could be used to provide for commuter service as well as tourist excursions to North Conway.

The trip is projected to take one and a half hours each way. While some estimates place the cost at $82 million (the figure projected in the study), it could probably be done for much less.

The state is already spending $22 million to build a 3.4-mile bypass connecting routes 114 and 25 outside of Gorham Village to accommodate the tremendous influx of commuters traveling each workday.

Another $35 million is needed to build a four-mile, two-lane bypass north of Gorham.

This may bring some temporary relief, but it does not provide an alternative for commuters who no longer want to drive because they either can't afford it, have failing health or simply prefer riding the rails rather than sitting in a traffic jam as they drive to work.

Citizen groups and town planners in Standish and in other communities are already examining how they can encourage greater community economic development along the corridor, especially where train stations were previously located. And there are plans to extend Amtrak service beyond Portland to Brunswick with the possibility of a second station closer to employment opportunities and Portland's commercial district.

The critics see this as Maine's "Bridge to Nowhere," but if we are serious about providing alternatives when gas prices rise again, relieving snarled traffic on major arteries and supporting an aging population, we should view it as a bridge to a brighter future.

At present, Mainers living in the western suburbs have no choice but to take their cars to work. We will need to come to grips with the new reality sooner or later.

RICHARD RUDOLF, Portland Press Herald, October 8, 2008
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Rudolf is president of the Rail Users Network. He lives in Standish.


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