The Maine House of Representatives defeated Tuesday a proposal to study expanding passenger rail service from the state’s biggest city to the home of its flagship university.
It was the latest setback for rail advocates and a mix of Democratic and Republican lawmakers who have argued the state should at least start the process of only asking for federal funding to identify a potential route from Portland to Orono via Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor, with other stations possible along the way.
Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, sponsored the measure that would direct the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to apply for funding through a federal program under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which supporters worry may dry up under President Donald Trump once it expires next year. The House voted 93-52 to defeat it Tuesday.
Past efforts to study the expansion have also failed. Advocates, such as the volunteer-led Maine Rail Group, had more optimism this year after Republicans and Democrats cosponsored the proposal from Hasenfus and after a national rail advocacy released a study earlier in May finding the expanded service could generate more than $61 million in economic benefits annually before growing with more riders.
But opponents, including both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ administration, have repeatedly argued the capital costs of creating new train routes are too high while arguing improved bus service is the better option.
The Maine Department of Transportation noted earlier this year it worked with Concord Coach Lines to add two additional bus trips between Portland and Bangor and increase that service to six daily roundtrips. Last July, the state also launched “The LAP” commuter bus between Lewiston and Portland.
Amtrak’s Downeaster route currently runs between Boston and Brunswick and reported record ridership of nearly 600,000 in fiscal year 2024. The state is still home to robust freight routes. It had many passenger rail routes before 1960, such as the Aroostook Flyer between Van Buren and Bangor and Flying Yankee between Bangor and Boston.
Hasenfus noted CSX has been investing in Maine track upgrades and that the “ground has literally been laid” to reach a Class IV rail classification that would allow passenger trains to reach 80 mph. He added the $66 billion in federal passenger rail funding from the Biden-era infrastructure law may not remain available again in the future.
Rep. Roger Albert, R-Madawaska, was among the opponents Tuesday, arguing instead for the state to “get I-95 finished from Houlton to northern Maine.”
Rep. Lydia Crafts, a Newcastle Democrat who co-chairs the Legislature’s transportation committee, opposed Hasenfus’ proposal by noting past state studies have identified fiscal challenges with expansion, echoing a point the Mills administration made in 2023 when it said expanding train service to Bangor could cost up to $902 million.
But supporters have challenged those findings while arguing they do not consider all of the benefits with expanded rail and how tourists, workers, residents without cars and University of Maine students have an appetite for more options.
Other rail-related proposals have moved forward recently. Last week, Mills let a bill from Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, that directs groups in New England and Canada to examine restoring passenger rail from Boston to Montreal become law without her signature.
“The train is literally about to leave the station,” Hasenfus said on the House floor. “And if we don’t get on board now, we may never have the opportunity in the future.”