ROCKLAND, Maine — The seasonal excursion passenger railroad schedule recently announced by Maine Eastern Railroad is being praised locally.
“This [schedule] is good news for downtown Rockland as this proposed 2015 plan by Maine Eastern Railroad means more visitors to downtown Rockland. I’m pleased that the railroad has adjusted its schedule to allow rail passengers more time in the Lime City to enjoy the harbor views, and the restaurants, galleries, museums and unique shops in our historic downtown district,” said Gordon Page, executive director of Rockland Main Street.
The railroad announced its schedule last week. Maine Eastern runs excursions from Brunswick to Rockland with stops in Bath, Wiscasset and Newcastle/Damariscotta.
“We have designed our 2015 schedule to give our riders time to truly experience Maine’s [midcoast],” Maine Eastern General Manager Harmony Llanto stated in a news release.
The trains will run during festivals and on weekends in August and October, providing a three-and-a-half hour stop in Rockland and longer stops in Bath, Wiscasset and Newcastle-Damariscotta. The first trip will be July 30 to coincide with the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland.
The train will leave Brunswick at 9 a.m., arrive in Rockland at 11:45 a.m. and depart Rockland at 2:45 p.m. The train will get back to Brunswick at 4:55 p.m.
“We look forward to continuing our excursion service in 2015,” Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Jensen said in a press release issued Jan. 21. “The Maine Eastern Railroad is part of the regional community, and we enjoy being the thread that ties travelers and vacationers to the midcoast.”
The Maine Eastern Railroad is an operation of the Morristown & Erie Railway, a short line freight railroad based in Morristown, New Jersey.
While the stopover in Rockland is longer than last year, the excursion trips are fewer than before 2013, when there were two trips to Rockland each day.
Nate Moulton, director of the rail program at the Maine Department of Transportation, said Maine Eastern’s contract to operate the state-owned line from Brunswick to Rockland extends through Dec. 31.
The state, however, will be requesting proposals in a month or two to operate the line beyond that, he said.
Maine Eastern has operated the line since 2003, and Moulton said the state wants to see what other interest there might be in running the short line. He said he expects that Maine Eastern will submit a proposal and that, in the end, there might not be a change in who runs the line.
A decision is likely by June or July, Moulton said.