LAKES REGION – Business owners in Standish, Baldwin and Hiram are strongly supporting a bill submitted by state Sen. Bill Diamond of Windham that would revitalize the Mountain Division Rail line from South Windham to Fryeburg.

The bill, which doesn’t have an LD number yet and is likely to be discussed later in the Legislative session, would bond $21 million in repairs to the rail line, which discontinued carrying freight in 1984. Maine voters approved $4 million in repairs to 5 miles of the rail line from Portland to South Windham last June. Diamond’s bill would extend the renovations to Fryeburg.

In the next few weeks, work is expected to begin on installation of new ballast (underlayment), new railroad ties and new 115-pound rail from Portland through Westbrook into South Windham. The 115-pound rail would allow trains to travel at 60 mph. Diamond’s bill calls for 85-pound rail to be installed from South Windham to Fryeburg, which would allow for freight and excursion trains to travel at 30 mph.

Because of its upfront costs, reintroduction of the rail line has been derided as speculative and wasteful government spending by some.

However, Diamond, a Democrat, is fully supportive of the idea and the bill, which has been co-sponsored by each of the local legislators in the communities along the rail line, Republicans and Democrats alike.

Government and business leaders in affected communities such as Standish, Baldwin and Hiram, are also supportive of the idea, hoping that the local economy will benefit from the added jobs a rail connection to Portland would bring.

“I learned a long time ago the only solution is work,” said Larry Seidl, a 40-year trucking operator in Baldwin. “This part of the state is fairly blighted, there are not a lot of job opportunities here. And there is no dignity or pride in welfare. So our top priority has to be creating jobs. And if we can revitalize this part of the state with rail, I’m all for it.”

Seidl, who is on the Route 113 Corridor Committee, which has lobbied for the reintroduction of rail since its founding in 2004, says his trucking business may suffer as a result of the reintroduction of rail, but that he’s willing to “take a hit,” if it provides a job for his fellow townspeople.

“It’s for the common good,” he said.

The rail line, according to the Corridor Committee’s Caroline Paras, who works for Greater Portland Council of Governments, once served 45 companies along its 50-mile stretch from Portland to Fryeburg. Of those 45 businesses, 18 were once located in South Windham.

Peter Anania, who owns and operates several businesses in South Windham, isn’t a supporter of the rail reintroduction and said he’d rather see more effort put into improving the Route 302 corridor.

When asked if he thought South Windham would see benefits from the rail line, Anania said, “I cannot think of any to be honest. I would like to see Sen. Diamond push to fix the River Road and the 302 corridor from the River Road to Fryeburg instead.”

Diamond, however, believes the rail could revitalize South Windham and outlying areas by allowing cheaper transport of materials to the port in Portland. Since the rail could handle excursion cars, which travel up to 30 mph, Diamond sees potential for adventure-tourism businesses that could cater to tourists wanting to take the train to Fryeburg and then bicycle or canoe back to Portland.

But freight, he said, would drive the immediate profitability of the line.

“So many businesses transport freight, and the mainstay of this rail line would be freight,” Diamond said. “In the future, it would also allow for commuter rail, as well. So there are many possibilities.”

A major “anchor” for the rail line is already lined up: F.E. Wood & Sons in Baldwin. The sawmill went out of business seven years ago after decades in operation. The company is now trying to make a comeback, and owner Tony Wood said he and his father, Dean Wood, are in a period of transition and negotiating with industrial companies looking to use wood pellets as a heat source.

Tony Wood, the fifth generation of Woods to operate the Baldwin sawmill, said his company would benefit greatly from a rail line connecting its proposed pellet factory to Portland ships mainly because rail allows for easier and more cost-effective shipment of heavy bulk items such as wood pellets. Wood said the pellet plant could still operate using trucks as transportation, but that trucks are limited in how much product they can carry while trains could operate under heavier loads. He also said he’d need about 35 workers to man the pellet factory, which would be a significant source of jobs for the Baldwin area.

“Heavy industries such as ours are limited by trucking and fuel rates. Rail was a thing of the past, but it seems like a way of the future and for growth,” Wood said.

Wood said trucks would transport lumber to the Baldwin facility from around southern and western Maine and then trains would transport the manufactured pellets along the Mountain Division line to Portland.

“We can’t all be right in the city. Rail is a great way to span great distances with a lot of weight,” Wood said.

Another business set to prosper with reintroduction of rail is quarry operator P.Y. Estes & Sons Inc. in West Baldwin. Owner Steve Estes said he is “cautiously optimistic” Maine’s effort to restore rail will work but thinks New Hampshire should get on board to extend rail beyond Fryeburg.

“For it to work for Maine, New Hampshire is key. Rail used to come through here and go to St. Johnsbury, Vt.,” a major transportation center of yesteryear, Estes said. “You would want it to stop in Fryeburg.”

Ests said he’d still be able to profit from the Portland connection, however. “It does give me opportunities. I know I would like the opportunity to put product on this rail line. It definitely would open up business for Portland and beyond.”

Phil Pomerleau and Lou Stack, Standish town councilors and members of the Route 113 Corridor Committee, are likewise enthusiastic about the line.

Stack says Diamond’s bill would finish the restoration and bring the track up to Class II standard to accommodate freight and excursion/commuter rail, although commuter traffic would likely not take place for 15-20 years. He said F.E. Wood’s plans to build a pellet mill would make the rail project worth Mainers’ $21 million investment since the whatever private entity ends up operating the rail would be able turn a profit servicing such a large user.

Stack and Pomerleau also see the potential for reducing local traffic.

“This rail line is estimated to take 25,000 truck trips a year off state roads, including routes 113, 25, 114, 22 and 302,” Stack said. “The (F.E. Wood) pellet mill would generate 19,000 truck trips alone.”

Pomerleau said Standish already deals with 75 Poland Spring trucks moving through town daily from Fryeburg, not to mention other Route 25 commercial users.

“The economic benefits for Standish are huge. Eliminating 25,000 trucks off our highways every year. How can you create a village feel when you’ve got all this truck traffic?” Pomerleau said. “That’s just one of the reasons I’m pushing hard for this.”

Prior to the removal of the rail line in the mid-1980s, Pomerleau said, Standish had 640 manufacturing jobs. This year, the town has seven, “and no one knows where they came up with that number. We can’t believe there are that many.” Pomerleau hopes businesses, everything from industry to tourism-based companies that would cater to excursion rail passengers, would choose to locate locally.

“There are some definite advantages, and we’re kind of excited out here,” he said.

New rails were laid along the tracks in South Windham last fall and crews are expected to start installation from Portland to South Windham in the next few weeks. Several local business and government leaders hope the Maine Legislature will pass a bill sponsored by state Sen. Bill Diamond that extends the upgrade to Fryeburg, allowing for reintroduction of rail service. (Courtesy photo)