(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on June 10, 2010.)
On Tuesday, Maine voters approved a bond referendum that will provide $47.8 million for railroad, marine and highway facilities. The referendum includes funds to help preserve 240 miles of the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd.’s track in Aroostook County.
The railroad is seeking Surface Transportation Board (STB) approval to abandon the line because it doesn’t generate enough revenue. The state is trying to preserve the line and earlier this year asked the STB to study the abandonment’s impacts and obtain input from local shippers and residents. The board held a public hearing in Presque Isle, Maine, last month.
The STB’s Section of Environmental Analysis previously released a draft environmental assessment that determined the abandonment could divert as many as 73,344 truck trips annually to Maine’s highways.