AUGUSTA, Maine - There have been lots of ideas advanced over the years to improve the financial profile of the Lewiston/Auburn area. But some local leaders believe that one of the most effective steps would be to bring back passenger rail service. Lawmakers in Augusta are considering a bill that would authorize the study of a state-owned rail line that runs between Yarmouth and Auburn.
Among those who appeared before the Legislature's Transportation Committee was Lewiston City Councilor Mike LaChance, who believes passenger rail is an idea that has galvanized a diverse assortment of groups.
"I see the Sierra Club is here today," LaChance said. "While I don't necessarily subscribe to a lot of their positions, they do talk about climate change. And I look at this as an economic climate change issue. This is a point that we are at where, moving forward, this can impact not only Lewiston, but every municipality down the line."
But before the train can leave the station, there are many questions that need to be answered. What would the costs be to upgrade an existing state-owned St. Lawrence & Atlantic line that currently runs between Yarmouth and Danville Junction in Auburn? How expensive would it be to connect Lewiston with Amtrak service in Portland or, ultimately, a passenger rail connection to Montreal?
Rep. Jared Golden says that after conferring with members of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority - also known as NNEPRA - he is convinced that the answers to those questions will be determined by his bill, which calls for a $500,000 study plan.
"The intent of this amendment is to provide NNEPRA with the funds it needs to do a detailed analysis of the market demand and economic benefit to Lewiston-Auburn," Golden said. "It is time the interior cities and towns of Maine begin to benefit from passenger rail service to their communities."
"We really need this train and it's going to benefit us," said Lewiston Mayor Bob McDonald. "And if it benefits us, it's going to benefit the state." McDonald says passenger rail would strengthen the cities' ties to Montreal, which he says could become a prime destination point for many in the twin cities area who have relatives in Canada.
Richard Grandmaison, of Lewiston, agrees and says rail service would connect Maine to the economic opportunities that could be found in the bordering Canadian provinces.
"Maine is kind of isolated from the rest of the states - we're bordered by one state, but we're bordered by two provinces," Grandmaison said. "The dream is that if we get it to Lewiston, you can go to Bangor and Montreal, and then, beyond Bangor, you can connect it with New Brunswick."
Transportation experts and business leaders speaking in favor of the rail study were joined by Glen Brand, director of the Maine Chapter of the Sierra Club, which Brand says supports partnerships that promote economic expansion with cleaner transportation alternatives.
"Transportation infrastructure choices made by our elected officials today have far-reaching practical consequences for decades to come," said Brand. "Our automobile-only transportation system has given much value, but it has also burdened us with many unsustainable costs."
Nina Fisher of the state Department of Transportation said the plan would provide another tool for her department to work with, should the committee choose to fund the proposal.
State Sen. Bill Diamond, a Windham Democrat, said the sponsor's decision to amend the bill's costs from $1 million to $500,000 might make it easier for lawmakers to support. But then he questioned Fisher about whether her department could cover the study's costs.
"Do you feel comfortable, is this a realistic approach to try to look for that kind of money for a study?" Diamond asked.
"That's a good question, senator," Fisher responded.
Fisher told the panel that she felt Golden's cost estimate was realistic, but that she was not prepared to say whether the proposal would be a good use of taxpayer dollars. No one spoke in opposition to the bill.