For a place so favorably situated — along one of the great scenic rivers of North America — and for all its rich history as an erstwhile lumber capital, has anyone noted that there is no form of mass transportation that will bring visitors from away to the heart of Bangor?
There are two long-haul bus lines, but they miss Bangor proper by miles. Greyhound, for one, unceremoniously dumps the visitor out by Dysart’s truck stop in Hermon; Concord Coach Lines egests him outside the airport. After that, he is on his own.
For a city to be defined as such, there must be some direct link to its downtown. One should be able to step out of a bus or train, look around at landmarks peculiar to the area, and declare, “I’m here.” When one is taken, instead, to a city’s industrial or mercantile fringe and spots the Home Depot, Denny’s, and McDonald’s, a more appropriate response is, “I could be anywhere.”
This is why I was delighted when I read that Rep. Michelle Dunphy of Old Town is the dynamo behind bringing Amtrak to Bangor. And just when we thought that vision and creativity among our elected representatives was dead.
Rep. Dunphy, I’m onboard with you. What Bangor lacks is a passenger train. It once had one, but in the early 1960s the city sought to “improve” itself by discontinuing its rail connection to the world. Bangor demolished its romanesque revival train station and replaced it with the architectural mortal sin of the current Penobscot Plaza. Today, with the Cross Insurance Center and the Hollywood Casino forming twin pillars at Bangor’s southern gate, it seems like a no-brainer to view these as anchors for tourists who could hop a train in New York, Boston, or points in between and beyond, and ride the rails north to dissolve their dreams and empty their pockets at Bangor’s gaming tables before attending an outdoor concert or an indoor event, or eating at one of the fine restaurants on Main Street.
The beauty of the train is that there are no formalities. You just show up and get on. And there is room to spare. Not only can one walk about, but there is a snack bar and a club car where one can relax at diner-like tables with family or friends. One does not risk being stuck in traffic, as on a bus. Compared to flying, one doesn’t have to show up two hours before boarding for the privilege of being treated like a suspected terrorist and watching dolefully as one’s tube of toothpaste is confiscated in the name of national security. Trains don’t have a “no ride” list.
But beyond these practical considerations, there are higher virtues associated with train travel. The sainted E.B. White said it best when he wrote, “A state without rail service is a state that is coming apart at the seams, and when a train stops at a village depot anywhere in America and a passenger steps off, I think that village is in an enviable condition.”
I have often stood on Main Street in Bangor and looked down on the railroad track that threads through the renovated riverside. It is easy to envision Amtrak arriving with its passenger load. When a train arrives, people stop and take notice, gazing approvingly at the thing as if it has just done a heroic deed. There is grandeur in a train. It is a sign of civilization, that a place has made something of itself. Beyond this, it is a service that creates social capital and a sense of industry and connectedness. Will Amtrak in Bangor require a subsidy? Of course. Just as air travel and highways are subsidized.
Bangor’s Union Station was razed in 1961. In the days that followed the demolition, mourners and the curious gathered to stare at the ruins. But E.B. White, in a bittersweet tone, records an upbeat comment from one of the onlookers: “Hey! You can see Brewer from Exchange Street!” At which point White reflects that when you couldn’t see Brewer from Exchange Street you could “close your eyes and see the continent of America stretched out in front of you…I loved it when you couldn’t see Brewer from Exchange Street, the rest of the view was so good.”
Robert Klose teaches at UMA-Bangor. He is a four-time winner of the Maine Press Association award for commentary. His novel, “Long Live Grover Cleveland,” will appear in July.