Commitment to save MMA railway
(R-Maine)
The recent announcement by the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic (MMA) Railway that it will seek to abandon 233 miles of track in Northern Maine would be a devastating blow to Aroostook County. For more than a century, rail has provided an efficient and cost-effective transportation link to our region. Without it, our industry and agriculture would be at a severe competitive disadvantage and the livelihoods of our people threatened. I am committed to working with MMA, our business and community leaders, and local, county, and state government to prevent this from occurring. This effort recently received a significant boost when I secured a firm pledge from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for federal support to help develop a plan to keep our trains running.
According to the MMA, as a result of the economic downturn, freight shipments to and from Aroostook County have fallen far below what is needed to maintain rail service, resulting in losses of several million dollars a year. While the company believes that a rebound in housing construction and other markets eventually will restore the line to profitability, it says it cannot sustain these losses in the meantime.
Twenty-two Aroostook County businesses rely on the rail line to move freight, from lumber and paper to chemicals and cooking oil, and other shippers use the MMA occasionally. The lack of rail service would drive up costs dramatically and make these businesses less competitive. Economic recovery, when it comes, would pass them by. In the largest county east of the Mississippi, one with an unemployment rate already above the state and national averages, the loss of this transportation link would be devastating.
I applaud the State of Maine for its efforts to work with MMA and affected business to prevent this termination of rail service from happening. I agree with the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation that this will require investment by not just by the private sector, but by state and federal sources as well.
Preserving this rail service is one of my top priorities as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. On March 4, our Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee conducted a hearing on the President’s proposed 2011 Transportation budget. At that hearing, I described the crisis facing Aroostook County and asked Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to explore all available options to help address this critical issue.
His response was greatly encouraging. Secretary LaHood pledged to send the Federal Rail Administrator to Maine as quickly as possible to help develop a plan to keep the railway operating. He clearly stated his commitment to rail transportation and to working with Maine, adding, “We’ll figure out some kind of funding opportunity to make sure that this rail line is not closed down.”
Growing up in Caribou, I know how hard the people of Aroostook County work to support their families and sustain their communities. I know how dedicated our business leaders are to providing good jobs and opportunity to the County’s families. These two invaluable assets require rail transportation for our region to recover and move forward. I am encouraged that I was able to secure the Transportation Secretary’s commitment to help keep this critical link moving.
