The politicians who refuse to give up on bringing passenger rail to Bangor

Two Maine lawmakers are continuing their fight to bring passenger rail to Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor — despite multiple studies showing the project would be costly and the route likely won’t draw many riders.
Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, and Sen. Margaret Rotundo, D-Androscoggin, joined forces to propose an amended bill that directs the State Rail Passenger Authority to identify a potential route from Portland to Bangor with possible station locations in Lewiston and Waterville.
…. Baldacci and Rotundo’s renewed push for stretching passenger rail north comes after the Maine Department of Transportation issued two studies showing the expansion would be costly and draw low ridership. Regardless, the senators remain firm in their belief that bringing passenger rail to Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor would drive economic development and offer Mainers an environmentally friendly way to travel.
“Sen. Rotundo and I are passionate about this and determined to move this bill forward,” Baldacci said. “Regardless of how the committee votes, we’re committed to having a vigorous debate on the Senate floor.”
…. In his April 12 testimony before the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, Nate Moulton, director of Maine DOT’s freight and passenger services office, outlined his reasons for opposing the proposed expansion.
Moulton reminded lawmakers that there is a highway between Portland and Bangor that is “uncongested, predictable, have traffic speeds of up to 70 mph and provide for efficient travel times for personal vehicles and existing bus services in the corridor.”
Feasibility studies from Maine DOT, released in April 2023, determined that the initial cost to create the route could sit between $375 million and $902 million, Moulton said.
Instead, Maine DOT recommended expanding existing bus availability between the cities, which would cost an estimated seven figures by comparison.
Projected ridership numbers and low environmental benefit shows little demand for the proposed train route, which would also be more expensive for travelers compared with the bus.
One-way train tickets from Brunswick to Bangor could cost from $84 to $116 at the projected levels of ridership, according to the Maine DOT study. Bus tickets from Bangor to Portland now range between $15 to $30.
Baldacci said he realizes rail advocates “face an uphill battle” because Maine DOT is “dead set against” bringing passenger rail up to Bangor. However, Baldacci said he has been advocating for expanding the Downeaster for more than 20 years and, “there’s nothing that could happen that would make me throw in the towel.”
“You have to keep pushing when it’s a good idea and the right idea,” Baldacci said. [And push evebn harder when it’s a bad one — Ed] The extended Brunswick line also showed that a younger generation of riders, especially college students, are eager for an easy, affordable and environmentally friendly way to access Maine’s other metropolitan areas.
“If they want to pay for a college education, they can’t afford to buy a car,” Donovan said. “Cars are a huge cost for a generation that is already carrying a huge financial burden.”