Future of rail service in hands of voters

By Kathy McCarty  
Staff Writer
    With a bit of fine-tuning, lawmakers in Augusta agreed to compromise on Monday, April 12, settling on a $57.8 million bond package — a cut of about $27.2 million from the original figure presented to them. It will be up to the voters come June to determine the fact of a number of projects, including the future of rail service in Aroostook County.   
    Talks that looked liked they’d reached the end of the line in Augusta with regard to the future of northern Maine’s rail system and ways to fund it picked up steam as the week progressed, with federal officials joining state lawmakers, community and business leaders in Bangor on Thursday, April 8, to discuss what could be done to keep trains operating between Aroostook and points south. The meeting was held at the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building.
    At the heart of the talks was a proposed $85 million bond package that included $35 million for road construction and maintenance, over $5 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects and about $5 million for wind energy initiatives, $5 million for a new four-year dental school and dental care programs in rural areas, $10 million for rail projects and $7 million for a deep-water berth for Portland’s harbor. Also included was $17 million to purchase roughly 240 miles of Montreal, Maine and Atlantic’s railroad tracks between Millinocket and Madawaska. MMA is seeking to abandon the line, citing declining revenue as the reason for their decision.
    Augusta lawmakers couldn’t reach a two-thirds majority by the end of the week to send the bond to voters in June. With federal officials visiting Maine to discuss the rail line, providing input on the future of Maine’s rail infrastructure, lawmakers opted to gather again April 12, to give ironing out the package another try.
    On Thursday, Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo and other transportation officials met with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, Gov. John E. Baldacci, as well as local and state officials and stakeholders regarding MMA’s request to abandon over 200 miles of tracks — the bulk of which runs through Aroostook County. Szabo was invited to Maine following a March 4 Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee hearing in which U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood pledged to send federal transportation officials to Maine to help develop a plan to keep the railway operating in Aroostook and Penobscot counties.
    Collins shared her thoughts on the gathering during a phone interview just moments after the more than two-hour meeting.
    “It was a very productive day — a very useful meeting. It gave an opportunity for all major businesses who use the rail line to talk about the economic impact and negative consequences discontinuing the line would have on them,” said Collins.
    Statistics were also provided on the number of jobs that would be affected, should the line be abandoned.
    “NMDC officials presented their estimate of job losses (in Aroostook County). About 760 jobs would be directly jeopardized, with an additional 960 jobs indirectly affected,” said Collins. “The impact would be really devastating.”
    Collins said those at the meeting were “determined to not only save the line but improve maintenance on it.”
    “We also want to see speed improved. It (speed) has been inferior for businesses who rely on railroad (to move products efficiently). The track hasn’t been kept up,” she said.
    Collins said what became clear is that it will take a “concerted effort, with the state leading the way, with help from the federal government, with input from the shippers.”
    “There was even talk of forming a co-op,” she said. “The governor suggested a smaller group get together to hammer out a specific plan.”
    Officials on hand included: Congressman Mike Michaud; MMA’s CEO Bob Grindrod; Walt Elish, Aroostook Partnership for Progress; David McKenney, McCain Foods; Larry Clark, Presque Isle Industrial Council; Denis Berube, Northern Maine Development Commission; Jim Irving, JD Irving Co., Ltd.; and Theresa Fowler, executive director, Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce.
    Fowler said she was cautiously optimistic about the meeting.
    “Discussion was positive, but there’s still lots of work to be done,” said Fowler. “We just want to see the bond package make it to the voters.”
    Sen. Olympia Snowe, who was unable to attend the meeting but had a representative present, reaffirmed via press release her commitment to preserving continued freight rail service in northern Maine and urged local stakeholders to continue to work toward a resolution that would guarantee businesses within the region have the capacity to move their products to markets and create the jobs necessary to revitalize the economy.