All aboard!

It can’t be a fluke that all the legislators representing the Lakes Region have hopped aboard a bill that would study the feasibility of reintroducing rail travel along the Mountain Division rail line.

From Sen. Bill Diamond in Windham to Rep. Roberta Muse in Fryeburg, about 15 legislators from our area have attached their names to a bill that seeks to spend $60,000 on an engineering study concerning the current state of the Mountain Division line. The study would give state lawmakers an estimate of how much renovation of the rail line would likely cost. Once armed with these specifics, the Legislature can then begin debating the merits of introducing commuter rail and freight trains from Portland into New Hampshire.

Along with the various legislators, all should be aboard this effort to make trains a viable alternative to driving. The proposal is a good one on several levels. It will help prop up the western Maine economy. It will allow existing companies to save money and possibly expand. It’ll also help attract new companies. Let’s take a moment to consider the economic prosperity and quality of life that could follow if rail were allowed to thrive once again.

For example, imagine the Steep Falls resident who works at UNUM/Provident in Portland. Usually a half-hour drive on a weekend, a commute on a weekday morning or afternoon can take twice that long with frustrating delays all along the way. Now, take that same commuter and offer her a train depot in her hometown. She’ll get there quicker, with less stress, and she’ll save her car from wear and tear and high gas costs.

For a business example, we need look no further than P.Y. Estes & Sons in Baldwin. They are one of several gravel pit/quarry operations in the area that could benefit from freight train service. The rail line parallels Route 113. Spurs or rail yards could be built to provide easy access for aggregate producers to ship their products more cheaply. Getting the trucks off the road would also benefit taxpayers who end up paying to replace the rutted and cracked roads, caused mostly by heavy truck traffic.

While there are many potential upsides to the proposal, there are very few negatives to reintroducing the rail. Truck drivers may lose their jobs. The area could lose the popular bicycle and pedestrian use of the Mountain Division Rail Trail, although in the past state officials have said reintroduction of rail could coexist with the new trail. Another downside could be expanding sprawl into the western Maine region. And, for sure, an immediate impact would be the costs associated with overhauling the crumbling rail line. The study will let us know exactly how much the project will cost.

But, overall, the proposal is a positive one for the area. It’s not a panacea promising wealth and vitality to our area, but it certainly is a step in the right direction. Rail reaching northwest out of Portland will change this area for the better.

-John Balentine, editor