Latest news with #AmtrakDowneaster
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposal for passenger rail to Bangor loses steam in committee
Apr. 24—A renewed effort to restore passenger rail service from Portland to Bangor was soundly rejected Thursday by the Legislature's transportation committee, following a similar failed attempt last year. The committee voted 9-1 against LD 487, recommending that it "ought not to pass" when the bill goes before the House and Senate in the coming weeks. The bill would direct the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), operator of the Amtrak Downeaster, to apply for at least $500,000 in federal funding to develop a proposal for passenger service between Portland and Orono, just north of Bangor. The bill's opponents, including NNEPRA and the Maine Department of Transportation, say passenger service to Bangor would be too slow, attract too few riders and cost too much to establish and operate. Its supporters dispute all of those points and say the expansion is a practical and necessary investment that would share the environmental and economic benefits of passenger service with more rural parts of Maine. Committee members responded to guidance from Maine rail officials, who said that the project likely wouldn't qualify for federal funding and warned that railroad grants are in jeopardy under President Donald Trump. "There is a great deal of uncertainty at this time," said Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA's executive director. Rep. Lydia Crafts, D-Newcastle, committee co-chair, said pursuing passenger service to Bangor now would be a "distraction" from the state's current passenger rail goals, which include moving Portland's train station and adding a train station in West Falmouth. Rep. Karen Montell, D-Gardiner, was the only committee member to support LD 487, saying that it would fund a study to show passenger service is warranted from Portland to Bangor. Several work session participants said the bill wouldn't fund such a study. Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, proposed LD 487 after a similar bill, pitched by Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, was narrowly defeated last year. The Senate approved LD 860, 23-11, but the House voted it down, 80-64. Baldacci is co-sponsor of the current bill. Rail advocates still hope LD 487 can overcome cost and ridership concerns to win Legislative support, similar to the effort that brought the Downeaster to southern Maine nearly 24 years ago. The Maine Rail Group has commissioned a new feasibility study by the national Rail Passengers Association, which members say will show the ridership potential of extending passenger service to Bangor. The study will be completed by mid-May. "We believe that it will provide valuable information about extending Amtrak passenger service to Orono through Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor," the group said in an emailed statement. "It should be available to all legislators in time for votes during the current session." The bill would provide $40,000 to prepare an application to the Federal Railroad Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds would be used to develop a proposal for passenger service from Portland through Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor to Orono on the CSX Corp. freight line. Other stations would be added as passenger service developed. Proponents of the new bill say opposition last year was based on recommendations from an advisory group and a "propensity study" that didn't consider Lewiston when factoring traveler interest. That's because the previous bill initially considered a different route that passed through Brunswick and would have bypassed Lewiston. Excluding Maine's second-largest city was a mistake, expansion supporters say, noting the importance of connecting the state's three largest municipalities: Portland (population 69,104), Lewiston (38,404) and Bangor (31,628). Bruce White, a former legislator who served on the transportation committee last year, testified in favor of the legislation on March 6. "This is a new proposal," White told the committee. "This route has never been studied before. Those supporting this bill are confident that this study will show ridership sufficient to qualify for federal implementation funding." Supporters say it's unfair to deny passenger service to central and northern Maine, especially after investing more than $50 million ($89.7 million today, when adjusted for inflation) to bring the Downeaster from Boston to Portland in December 2001 — and continuing to spend $17 million annually to subsidize the service that now extends to Brunswick. They also point out that CSX Transportation, which operates on 481 miles of track and maintains 269 public grade crossings in Maine, has made rail improvements in the last two years allowing freight train speeds to increase to 40 mph, up from 10-25 mph. The improved tracks would allow passenger trains to travel up to 60 mph, according to Federal Railroad Administration standards. Nate Moulton, director of freight operations at Maine Department of Transportation, said a study completed in February 2023 estimated that it would cost $375 million to $538 million in equipment and track improvements to expand passenger service to Bangor, depending on which lines were used. Moulton also said the current Downeaster service covers about 50% of its costs with passenger fares and requires an annual public subsidy of about $16 million. He noted that passenger service to Bangor would parallel interstates 95 and 295, where commuters can travel up to 70 mph in personal vehicles or buses. He referred to an MDOT pilot commuter bus service that started last year between Lewiston-Auburn and Portland. Copy the Story Link
CBC
07-04-2025
- CBC
Amtrak trains to and from Vancouver back on the rails
26 passenger cars from Cascades route had briefly been removed from service over corrosion, age concerns Image | Amtrak Downeaster Caption: Amtrak temporarily removed 26 passenger cars from service that usually operate on the Cascades line between Vancouver and Eugene, Ore., due to issues with corrosion. (Robert F. Bukaty/The Associated Press) Open Image in New Tab Passenger train service is largely back on the rails in Vancouver, including to and from Seattle and Portland, after Amtrak briefly pulled more than two dozen train cars from service over corrosion concerns. U.S.-based Amtrak removed the cars last week after saying recent inspections had found issues with aging and corrosion on 26 of them. Passengers were bused to and from their destinations instead, with the option of a refund, rebooking or reimbursement if the passenger had paid for business class. The Cascades route has 18 stops, including its northernmost terminus in Vancouver and southernmost in Eugene, Ore. WATCH | Amtrak to and from Vancouver off the rails: Media Video | Amtrak cancels some train trips between B.C. and Oregon Caption: American passenger rail corporation, Amtrak, is replacing most of its railcars with buses along its Cascades route. The fleet was pulled after inspectors found corrosion on the railcars. As Jon Hernandez reports, train passengers weren't too thrilled to see their travel plans upended. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. On Sunday, Amtrak spokesperson Kelly Just confirmed that the trains were restored and now operating on schedule. "Since each replacement train is running with a limited number of cars and fewer available seats, we encourage customers to book in advance," she wrote in a statement. Amtrak said the Bombardier-built passenger cars have been in service since 1989. Across its entire operation, the company temporarily removed a total of 70 of the Bombardier Horizon cars. "During daily routine inspections, we spotted some corrosion and so we pulled some of the fleet and had them undergo more intensive inspection, and came to the conclusion that the corrosion was to a level that we worried about the structural integrity during a crash," Just said at the time of the cars being pulled.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rail advocates renew push for passenger service to Bangor
Mar. 4—Narrowly defeated last year, rail advocates have returned with refreshed legislation aimed at restoring passenger service from Portland to Bangor. This time they hope to overcome opposition over how much it would cost and whether enough people would ride it and win state support, similar to the effort that brought the Amtrak Downeaster to southern Maine nearly 24 years ago. Previous opponents, including the Maine Department of Transportation, are expected to continue their fight. Proponents see passenger expansion as a practical and necessary investment that would share the opportunity for economic development that rail delivers with more rural parts of Maine. At the same time, it would provide sustainable mass transportation for residents, workers, commuters, tourists heading for Acadia National Park or waterfront concerts in Bangor and students attending colleges in Lewiston, Waterville, Bangor and Orono. "The track is already there. The opportunity is there," said Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, who submitted the bill. "We should leave no stone unturned to make it happen." The bill, scheduled for a public hearing Thursday, would direct the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), operator of the Amtrak Downeaster, to apply for federal seed money. The funds would be used to develop a proposal for passenger service from Portland through Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor to Orono on the CSX Corp. freight line. Other stations would be added as passenger service developed. LD 487 is a slight retooling of a previous bill, LD 860, introduced by Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, that was rejected last year. The Senate approved Baldacci's bill, 23-11; the House voted it down, 80-64. The previous bill also drew strong opposition from officials with the MDOT, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce and NNEPRA, who testified that passenger service to Bangor would be too slow, attract too few riders and cost too much to establish and operate. But proponents of the new bill say opposition last year was based on recommendations from an advisory group that didn't consider Lewiston when factoring traveler interest. That's because proponents and the advisory group initially considered a different rail corridor that passed through Brunswick and would have bypassed Lewiston. Excluding Maine's second-largest city was a mistake from the start, Baldacci said, noting the importance of connecting its three largest municipalities: Portland (population 69,104), Lewiston (38,404) and Bangor (31,628). It's also unfair to deny passenger service to central and northern Maine, he said, especially after investing more than $50 million ($89.7 million today, when adjusted for inflation) to bring the Downeaster from Boston to Portland in December 2001 — and continuing to spend $17 million annually to subsidize the service that now extends to Brunswick. "We're denying the same economic benefit to the northern half of the state and two of Maine's largest cities that was granted to our coastal communities," said Baldacci, the new bill's co-sponsor. "It's short-sighted, really, for the MDOT to say they've got enough to take care of." MASS TRANSIT AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS LD 487 is scheduled for a hearing Thursday before the Legislature's transportation committee. It would provide $20,000 to apply for as much as $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop a proposal for passenger rail between Portland and Orono. Hasenfus grew up in nearby Winthrop, where the CSX line, formerly the Maine Central Railroad, brought summer visitors to boat and swim at a resort on Maranacook Lake in the early 1900s. The railroad ended passenger service in 1960. "A lot of my constituents are interested in having passenger rail service again and the economic benefit that would come to communities along the corridor," Hasenfus said. "It would be a shame not to give this a really good look." Hasenfus and other proponents said they expect MDOT officials and others to resurrect their opposition, but they question old feasibility data that doesn't account for a stop in Lewiston or the impact of recent track upgrades made by CSX, which would make passenger service faster, more attractive and a less expensive proposition. CSX Transportation, which operates on 481 miles of track and maintains 269 public grade crossings in Maine, has made rail improvements in the last two years allowing freight train speeds to increase to 40 mph, up from 10 to 25 mph. The improved tracks would allow passenger trains to travel up to 60 mph, according to Federal Railroad Administration standards. MDOT OPPOSITION PERSISTS In testifying against the previous bill, Nate Moulton, transportation planning director at MDOT, said a study completed in February 2023 estimated that it would cost $375 million to $902 million in equipment and track improvements to expand passenger service to Bangor, depending on which lines were used. Moulton said current Downeaster service covers about 50% of its costs with passenger fares and requires an annual public subsidy over $17 million. He noted that passenger service to Bangor would parallel interstates 95 and 295, where commuters can travel up to 70 mph in personal vehicles or buses. He referred to an MDOT pilot commuter bus service that started last year between Lewiston-Auburn and Portland. "Given the relatively low transit demand, low population densities, high capital and operating costs, low climate and equity benefits, and extensive transportation needs statewide, (MDOT) has determined that it would be imprudent to continue the study of extending passenger rail to Bangor at this time," Moulton said. MDOT didn't respond to a request to interview Moulton but indicated via email that its opposition hasn't shifted. It also expects the cost of establishing passenger service to Bangor would be even higher than previously estimated because of inflation. That doesn't fit the department's planning model. "In our regular transportation planning, (MDOT) places a priority on pragmatic improvements that balance the department's limited financial resources with anticipated benefits to the greatest number of people," said Paul Merrill, department spokesperson. SUPPORT FOR PASSENGER EXPANSION Notable support for the previous bill came from the Portland City Council and Mayor Mark Dion. "It has become clear that a guiding vision of the future use of critical state corridors is necessary, for everything from passenger transportation to freight to active transportation connections," Dion said. "The actions included by this legislation would provide the high-level analysis needed to move the state of Maine on a path toward sustainable community development and away from auto-centric planning." The transportation committee also heard support from residents of Portland, Lewiston, Waterville and Sherry Foster of Bangor, who said passenger service to her city would create jobs, promote economic development and allow "more eco-friendly travel," especially for people who don't drive or can't afford cars. The Maine Rail Group plans to support passenger rail on the CSX line, as it did before, said Doug Rooks, spokesman for the nonprofit that promotes rail service in Maine and New England. "That is the best railroad track in Maine and it's the most direct connection to all major population centers in the state," Rooks said. "We believe people would pay for the service, and that's what we want to test." Other bills submitted this session would allow the MDOT to remove tracks and build recreation trails on 33.5 miles of a state-owned rail line between Brunswick and Augusta (LD 29) and on nearly 10 miles between Portland and Yarmouth (LD 30 and 511). A bill submitted by Sen. Rotundo, D-Lewiston, and cosponsored by Baldacci, LD 472 would direct the Maine-Canadian Legislative Advisory Commission and the New England and Eastern Canada Legislative Commission to examine restoring passenger rail from Boston to Montreal. Copy the Story Link
