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Amtrak Supporters Enlist Drone to Make Argument

BRUNSWICK, Maine — Supporters of a plan to build a $12.7 million layover facility for Amtrak locomotives in Brunswick are using a drone to make their case.

Aerial video distributed by TrainRiders Northeast shows the tracks, the proposed layover site and the neighborhood that's been fighting it. No houses can be seen because the neighborhood is hidden behind a buffer of trees. Critics of the proposal say the video is misleading.

Bill Lord, who piloted the drone, tells the Portland Press Herald that it may be the first time a drone has been used to make a point in a land-use dispute in Maine.

The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority has won federal approval to build the facility. But it needs additional state approvals before moving forward.