Maine DOT proposes $3 million for pilot of Brunswick-Rockland RDC service

[BlackDiamond]

"The prospect of regular passenger service on a state-owned route between Brunswick and Rockland, Maine, received a big boost last week when Maine’s Department of Transportation budgeted $3 million to advance a two-year pilot project utilizing 1950s-era Budd Rail Diesel Cars."

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-rev...-for-pilot-of-brunswick-rockland-rdc-service/
This was originally proposed as an Amtrak service and Amtrak ran a test train back in 2019 but any further progress was put on hold probably due to the pandemic.

The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) is now pursuing operation by Midcoast Rail Services, a subsidiary of New York’s Finger Lakes Railway which has a fleet of RDC cars that previously ran in Texas.

The branch previously had seasonal service run by the Maine Eastern but that ceased in 2015 when ME was replaced by a new operator CM&Q which had no interest in running passenger service.

 

[JWM]

Better would be to extend some "Downeaster" service instead with no change in Bruswick.

 

[ascii42]

Most passenger rail startups consume cash by beginning with a ridership study, but that isn’t happening here. As Midcoast’s Smith puts it, “We can just run the damn service and see if it works!”

I like the attitude.

 

[jiml]

If they get the company that did the latest RDC rebuilds for VIA's White River service to refurbish the rolling stock they may be onto something. They're in pretty good shape considering their age.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Better would be to extend some "Downeaster" service instead with no change in Bruswick.

I agree that was the original idea which got as far as the Amtrak test run in 2019. Rockland service is also on the Connects US plan. Perhaps given Amtraks equipment and manpower shortage perhaps this Midcoast Rail operation is the best option at this time to get this service off the ground

 

[Anderson]

I like the attitude.

Definitely a sidebar, but if you had host RRs that were accommodating and Amtrak had some spare equipment to loan, something like this would probably be more feasible in general - "Here's $Xm, run the service for 12-24 months, and if you like the results here's what you'd need to make it permanent and here's a proposed construction timetable for those improvements" would be refreshing.

[IIRC this is pretty darned close to what happened in VA with the Norfolk service - the state got a good deal from NS and just "went for it". These both ring of a comment I've made many times about federal money sometimes being too expensive to bother with.]

 

[west point]

Several points.
1. IMO Amtrak will be too expensive. Better spend all the money on running the service and any start up costs.
2. Will FRA allow single person operator? Maybe Pat Quinn can provide a hostess position ? Or a conductor / train host would be best.
3. Are the RDCs reliable enough that operating just one would be OK at least in warmer times.?
4. Scheduling is a real problem. unless the RDCs can overnight Rockport in the roundhouse. Of course that requires the FRA daily inspection before they can go to Brunswick. How does the RR get persons living n Rockport to become engineers and conductors ?
5. If an arrangement can be worked out most heavy maintenance can be done at the Amtrak Brunswick facility. But can't you hear the NIMBYS complain about the RDCs idling.
6. PTC may be a problem especially from the station to the layover yard.
7. Reservations should be siple and quickly accesed so iff another REC is needed it will be easy.

 

[Roomette11]

The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) is now pursuing operation by Midcoast Rail Services, a subsidiary of New York’s Finger Lakes Railway which has a fleet of RDC cars that previously ran in Texas.

I read about a group looking for a place to pilot battery-powered RDCs (“REC”?!?). I think Providence-Worcester and Montpelier-Burlington were the places they explored before (and may not have advanced beyond a wish-casting newspaper article). I don’t think this Midcoast group is the same outfit.

 

[Roomette11]

Better would be to extend some "Downeaster" service instead with no change in Bruswick.

Agreed. Single seat rides always win (and keep) more riders.

Are they (NNEPRA?…not sure who “they” are) still trying to get service to Lewiston/Auburn? If so…

What if the Rockland RDCs ran all the way to Portland? Some Rockland boardings must be bound for Portland so at least that portion of the ridership would get a single seat ride. This would (theoretically, in my silly head, anyway) allow the Amtrak equipment to go to Lewiston/Auburn.

 

[Maverickstation]

Are they (NNEPRA?…not sure who “they” are) still trying to get service to Lewiston/Auburn? If so…

If your commenting on any service in Maine, including Downeaster service, you should know who the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) is. They are the ones who fund the Downeaster service, set the schedules, policies (such as the Cafe service), fares, and more. This includes selecting the operating carrier, which for now happens be Amtrak.

Ken

 

[Roomette11]

If your commenting on any service in Maine, including Downeaster service, you should know who the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) is. They are the ones who fund the Downeaster service, set the schedules, policies (such as the Cafe service), fares, and more. This includes selecting the operating carrier, which for now happens be Amtrak.

Ken

Thanks, Ken.

I know who NNEPRA is. What I meant was that I don’t who is behind these expansion efforts — didn’t want to assume it was an official project by NNEPRA.

Bygones for the confusion. I could have done a better job choosing my words.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Would love this as we have a second "home" in Rockland, actually a very nice sailboat. Some of the posts above mention "Rockport" but I'm pretty sure they mean Rockland, a larger town about seven miles south of Rockport. The previous tourist train ran from Rockland to Brunswick, but IIRC they only ran one train a day in each direction, only in the summer and only on Saturday and Sunday, and it didn't connect gracefully with the Downeaster.

Amtrak runs five trains a day in the summer from Boston North Station to Brunswick, and it would be nice if they could connect with at least two of them.

Thanks to the magic of the Wayback machine, here's the old Maine Eastern schedule. The Wayback machine sometimes takes a few tries to load.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150702215127/http://www.maineeasternrailroad.com/schedule

 

[Rambling Robert]

Gee service in 2023, so soon? I instead of the DownEaster a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. My feeling is that the Budd cars are fine. Having a restroom would be an ADA plus. It’s great to know that the Rockland tracks have been maintained.

On old railway system, early 1900s maps of Maine, I noticed that Brunswick Maine was almost as much of a hub as Portland.


==•==============================

I think the Rockland line and the DownEaster line from Boston to Brunswick could really be more popular if there was marketing about site seeing.

=====••••====================•====

Here are some things that I would definitely market:

Old Orchard Beach, young and old, unique Amusements, restaurants, cheap T-shirts, expansive beaches on the ocean. Down Easter stops seasonably but it’s open. OOB is open yeah around, but only a few hotels and restaurants are open. The DownEaster stops during the warmer season ONLY - although sun bunnies are you around!

Portland, steam, locomotive ride, ferry, boat, ride to the islands, lower, cost, hotels, art, museum, wonderful restaurants, Waterfront,

Freeport, many stores, L.L. Bean, “ discount stores “ hotels, very unusual McDonald’s in an old house,

Brunswick, there is an enclosed waiting room. With rest room. Neighboring the station there is a pub and nearby hotel. Are you short walk to Bowdoin College which has both an art museum and an Arctic museum. There is a small downtown. I think Brunswick shows that it was/is a very vibrant railroad town based on all of the nice homes and buildings. There is a modern Hannaford’s supermarket adjacent to the Amtrak station.

===========•=======••===••=========

i’ve seen shuttle buses connecting these towns and beyond. Portland has a city bus which I haven’t found yet. And the cost to ride Amtrak between these cities is very small as low as three dollars up to around six dollars.

========================+=======+

I was in Rockland Maine pick season and it is crammed with people. The museum of cell and steam is in Rockport, it reopens for the season May 1, but on Sundays it has music jams from 1 to 4 PM. Another very interesting museum is the owls head transportation museum, it has just about everything mostly cars and air planes and is situated near a runway to the owls head jetport.

===============================

Does anyone happen to know THE ROUTE of the train from Brunswick to Rockland???

 

[Rambling Robert]

Would love this as we have a second "home" in Rockland, actually a very nice sailboat. Some of the posts above mention "Rockport" but I'm pretty sure they mean Rockland, a larger town about seven miles south of Rockport. The previous tourist train ran from Rockland to Brunswick, but IIRC they only ran one train a day in each direction, only in the summer and only on Saturday and Sunday, and it didn't connect gracefully with the Downeaster.

Amtrak runs five trains a day in the summer from Boston North Station to Brunswick, and it would be nice if they could connect with at least two of them.

Thanks to the magic of the Wayback machine, here's the old Maine Eastern schedule. The Wayback machine sometimes takes a few tries to load.

https://web.archive.org/web/20150702215127/http://www.maineeasternrailroad.com/schedule

Thanks Brian, the “way-back machine”answered some of my questions.

Based on way/back schedule and prices / I would definitely try the “Coastal” to Rockland at least once, never mind the cost. I’d prolly stay at the Brunswick Hotel next to the Brunswick station say on a Friday night take the Saturday 9AM morning train to Rockland and stay over Saturday somewhere in Rockland, Rockport, or Camden. I’d return to Brunswick Sunday afternoon the 5;45PM DownEaster heading to Boston.

[Say Brian, do you know Jim Sharp of the Sail and Steam Museum? I take it the Sunday music jams are his idea. His voice sure sounds like Pete Seeger. Ha ha.]

 

[BlackDiamond]

Does anyone happen to know THE ROUTE of the train from Brunswick to Rockland???

There is only one possible route, the former Maine Central branch via Bath and Wiscasset.

Regarding service to Lewiston/Auburn, there are 2 possible routes that have been discussed: 1) The PanAm main line to Lewiston/Auburn which has the advantages of serving the city centers but no good locations for stations and 2) The former St. Lawrence & Atlantic line (currently owned by the state of Maine as far as Danville Jct. I believe) that branches off at Yarmouth Jct. from the PanAm line and would involve a station out near the L/A airport so somewhat distant from the downtowns. Note that either option involves branching off the current Downeaster route at Royal Jct. so any trains serving L/A would not be able to serve Freeport or Brunswick (or connect with the Rockland service unless that was extended to Portland).

There is also the former "Lewiston Lower" branch that branches off at Brunswick (the wye track you see on the left just before the Brunswick station) and is intact as far as Lisbon Falls but currently unused. It was actually renovated by the state a few years ago for a customer that never materialized. The right of way still exists partly into Lewiston (a street has been built over the right of way in the downtown Bates Mill area) but again no good place to put a station. This would have the advantage that you could extend the DE easily by reversing at the Brunswick station. I don't believe that is one of the alternatives being considered. I think the former SLA and station near the airport is currently the leading contender, probably because the state owns the track and doesn't have to deal as much with PanAm..

 

[BlackDiamond]

Word is that Midcoast will be operating the one RDC (2003) they currently have on the property for excursions during the Rockland Lobster Festival August 2nd through the 6th running from Rockland to Thomaston and return. The RDC has been seen testing in the Rockland area.

 

[Ziv]

===============================

Does anyone happen to know THE ROUTE of the train from Brunswick to Rockland???

It sounds like Wiscasset is on the route, but I am not sure if the line then goes through Damariscotta or Jefferson? I do not know the area well but Damariscotta is a town I have always wanted to see. And being able to ride the train past Wiscasset without getting stuck in that backup that is there so often would be very cool. I would even skip a visit to Red's just this once.
I have only been to Maine twice so I am probably unaware of the very best cafes to visit, but the food there was almost as good as the scenery.
This is a route I will keep an eye on for later this summer or early fall.

 

[Brian Battuello]

I happened to see it moving slowly in the area of the Rockland turntable on Tuesday. Glad to see they are making progress, although Thomaston is not very far from Rockland. They have a long way to go. It was a nice shiny car but I'd much rather see the Downeaster extended to Rockland. Still, would be fun to see it rumbling past Reds...

 

[BlackDiamond]

It sounds like Wiscasset is on the route, but I am not sure if the line then goes through Damariscotta or Jefferson? I do not know the area well but Damariscotta is a town I have always wanted to see. And being able to ride the train past Wiscasset without getting stuck in that backup that is there so often would be very cool. I would even skip a visit to Red's just this once.
I have only been to Maine twice so I am probably unaware of the very best cafes to visit, but the food there was almost as good as the scenery.
This is a route I will keep an eye on for later this summer or early fall.

The line actually goes through Newcastle which is Northwest of Damariscotta on the other side of Route 1. There is a historic old station there which I believe was used in the Maine Eastern days. Looks like about a 10 to 15 minute walk to Damariscotta proper. Assuming the train stops there. I have not seen a proposed schedule for the Midcoast rail service once they start up.

The route is basically Rockland - Thomaston - Warren - Newcastle - Wiscasset - Bath - Cook's Corner - Brunswick. More or less following route 1 but deviating significantly in many areas.