John Smythe wrote: to mention that the track is in a sad state of disrepair between Fabians to Whitefield resulting in it being Class 1 track, maximum speed 10 MPH.
This track is used for little more than in/out equipment moves, and trains at rare times such as Railfan's Weekend. Why would either party feel a need to maintain it to any higher speed?
John Smythe wrote:Tourists coming into the Conway area create miles of crawl & stall traffic tie ups on weekends. Same goes for summer vacationers. The vehicle flow comes up route 302 & 16. I have been advised by someone very much in the know that there are several business located along the Mtn. Division line that would ship products by rail if service was available. A Propane dealer in Conway, over in Maine a sand & gravel pit operator, a lumber yard, a company that raises chickens that seeks to have grain & feed delivered by rail, there was another company that wanted to build a wood pellet plant, that my friend would result in creating numerous jobs, jobs, jobs in rural Maine where decent paying jobs are hard to come by.
I ask again, how the CSRX would solve such congestion? They are not a commuter line, and many of these travelers are seeking points further east/west than where the RR can operate.
Wanting to ship by rail, and actually signing a shipper contract are different things. I have followed the Mt. Division thread since I joined here, and every mention of business has remained nothing more than a rumor/hearsay, especially the wood-pellet pipe dream. Neither state is foolish enough to spend all those millions for a handful of infrequent shippers, and a business that merely exists in Imaginationland.
John Smythe wrote:I said absolutely nor implied anything about Amtrak coming from Portland up into the White Mountains. It costs about $1 Million per mile to rehab a railroad ROW in order to see service again. There are about 9-10 miles of track that need to be rehabbed from State Line to the Redstone area, where the State relocated a road & the rail line in N. Conway some 20 years ago. To be on the safe side 12-15 Million Dollars would cover everything. Imagine what that kind of money could do to revitalize a defunct rail line just waiting for a second chance to be useful again.
You're correct, I misread there. However, you've again confused a slow moving tourist line, with a Commuter Train; something the CSRX is not. They have neither the crews, logistics, or equipment to pull such a thing off. If it costs that much just for the short NH portion, why would Maine be foolish enough to spend that kind of money for a seasonal tourist train? I feel like we're beating a dead horse yet again.
There was even talk about operating a commuter train between Sebago Lake station to Portland to help ease congestion on Rt 114. There are dozens of very good reasons to restore the Mtn. Division Line. Federal Dollars, State Transportation Bonds & Funds, Grants, FRA Monies, and on and on. The problem is there always seems to be those among us that are unwilling or unable to think outside the box.
Who is going to operate that train? Who in their right mind will vote for a multi-million dollar project that helps only half the towns on the line? There are plenty of good ideas, none of which are a realistically sound financial plan. Government subsidies could be better spent on existing routes, that already have paying customers buying tickets, or existing Freight lines that could use track upgrades to serve ACTUAL customers. It isn't necessarily about "thinking outside the box", it requires sound logic, common sense, and a reality-based financial picture that benefits both the operator, and the taxpayer/shippers.
Rehabilitation of The MEC Mtn. Division Line from Portland to N. Conway has the potential to create revenue, jobs, ease traffic congestion, etc.
It's hard to create revenue with a few infrequent freight shipments that require regularly maintained track, or relieve congestion with a slow moving stub-ended line that won't exceed the speed of said traffic without multiple upgrades. Which leads to the extra millions just to bring the track to at least class II, to make it worthy for either an operator or shipper to use it.
Avatar: NHV 669 at the south end of the "Pompy" in White River Jct., VT on 4/29/1993. Photo by Richard Roberg.
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