As follow-up to a July Heritage Days stationary open house display in Bath and “The train is back” excursion weekend at Rockland’s Lobster Festival, Midcoast Railservice plans a similar curtain-raising event for Wiscasset on Saturday, Aug. 26.
The Coastliner, a self-propelled railcar, will be available for inspection at the Railroad Avenue boarding site at 9 a.m. and make the first of three hour-long round trips to Bath at 10 a.m. The schedule allows time for passengers from each community to explore the other.
The larger purpose is to raise public awareness of possibilities for the underutilized Brunswick-Rockland rail line as an alternative to Route 1. As a Coastal Route 2 travel alternative, Coastliner management is working with the track owner, Maine Department of Transportation to target markets for expanded train travel, which in the past focused largely on seasonal tourism.
Management is evaluating ways to improve local mobility between the five online communities, offer car-free options for same-day round trips to Brunswick, Freeport, and Portland, and eventually enable connectivity with Amtrak’s Downeaster for travel to southern Maine and Boston.
In a time of concern about resource conservation and environmental sensitivity, the public needs to be reconditioned to think about options other than the automobile and truck. The spacious, restroom-equipped Coastliner offers a fuel-efficient, environmentally preferable means of public transportation with comfortable seating, oversized windows, climate control, and internet access.
For more information, go to coastlinerexcursions.com.
