MEC Lower Road in danger

[backroadrails]

It was recently announced on a bike forum, that a new rail trail which would remove rail between Gardiner and Topsham. The bill which is in the legislature is LD 1141, and would remove 25 miles of rail. This would effectively end any possibility of reactivation of the lower road. Here is the link: https://www.pedal2page.com/post/build-i ... o2Kuzg29VM

[Rockingham Racer]

George O'Keefe: get right on this and put a stop to it!

[NRGeep]

Any potential on line business?

[Cowford]

Zero freight... and conversion to a bike trail would be millions cheaper than any pax rail boondoggle and it would definitely generate more "passenger miles" .

[NRGeep]

Like the Watertown Ma branch, might as well be utilized for some form of transit as it appears to have no rail potential ; unlike the soon to be rail trailed Eastern CM which could be used for revived commuter rail to Sudbury, but alas, not going to happen.

[CN9634]

Tough business case to say you need to continue putting dollars towards preserving a dormant line that is paralleled closely by another line of the same rail operator who is only running 2 trains a day between Waterville and Portland.... even still, service exists to Augusta and Brunswick via the branches on either end so again, why not make it a bike trail? At least people can use it then.

[Cowford]

IIRC, the line's rail is 115# and I'm guessing that the condition is ok... possibly put to good use elsewhere in the state as relay rail?

[ericofmaine]

Knowing this state, probably to close the gap on the Mountain Division...

Eric