Passenger train service will return to Newcastle next summer, news Twin Villages officials have welcomed as a potential economic benefit and a convenience for residents.
Maine Eastern Railroad will include the Academy Hill Road station as a regular stop on its weekend passenger trains, the Mid-Coast Limited and the Wiscasset Flyer, according to a press release from the railroad.
The railroad, in partnership with Country Coach Charters of Nobleboro and the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle, plans to offer shuttle service from the station to downtown Damariscotta and Newcastle.
The railroad will also connect to the Amtrak Downeaster in Brunswick, where passengers will be able to change trains and ride to and from Portland, Boston and other points south.
“I think it’s a huge benefit to both towns, Newcastle and Damariscotta, and possibly the whole community,” said Brian Foote, chairman of the Newcastle Board of Selectmen. “It’s only going to be seasonal for now, but I think it’s going to bring more tourism to town, which both towns really benefit from.”
The Newcastle station was a regular stop on the Brunswick-Rockland line from July 17, 1871 until April 4, 1959, according to “Between Two Rivers: Newcastle, Maine” by Arlene Cole.
Automobile travel became more widespread in the years after World War II, and the owners of the railroad discontinued the service. The DOT purchased the 51.76-mile line in 1987 and restored the track.
Next summer’s trains will mark the return of regular passenger service after a 55-year absence.
“We’re delighted with the decision by Maine Eastern,” Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus said.
The passenger service will benefit businesses in downtown Damariscotta and Newcastle, Lutkus said, and offer residents and visitors a low-stress alternative to driving in the busy summer months.
“I think it will appeal to the vacation crowd that wants to take a long weekend or just come up for a day, to sit back, enjoy the scenery, and visit our gem of a village,” Lutkus said.
“I think there might be some folks who are hesitant to drive up Route 1 in the summer,” Lutkus said. “The Wiscasset traffic is a deterrent, and this is a way to avoid that.”
The service will also provide a new option for area residents who want to take the Downeaster to Portland or Boston.
“You can leave your car here, jump on the train in Newcastle and connect with the Downeaster in Brunswick,” Lutkus said. “It’s nice, not having to worry about the traffic in Boston, and we can do that now from our backyard.”
The railroad has previously only offered service to Newcastle for special events like the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Pirate Rendezvous, despite local efforts to make the station a regular stop.
The railroad “didn’t seem receptive” during a meeting in 2012, Lutkus said, but it had a change in personnel shortly thereafter.
The new contact for the town was Rudy Garbely, a marketing associate with Morristown & Erie Railway Inc., the New Jersey business that operates the railroad.
“I think it became obvious to (Garbely) what’s been obvious to us, that both Maine Eastern and the towns can only benefit by adding a stop on their Brunswick-to-Rockland route,” Lutkus said.
Garbely explained the decision in an email to The Lincoln County News.
“With all of our other changes for next year, including the Downeaster connection, it seemed fitting that we could also add a station stop and provide another attraction for Amtrak riders via our excursion service,” Garbely said.
Lutkus would like to see the railroad develop into more than a tourist attraction.
“My hope is, that it does become more than just a seasonal passenger service, that it could be an alternative means of transportation for people who are now dependent on their automobiles and their trucks,” Lutkus said.
The long-term plan for passenger service largely depends on how many people ride the train next year, Garbely said.
“We want to provide a service that the public will use and enjoy, and if the new 2014 season plans are met with a positive public response and high ridership levels, obviously we will continue it,” he said.
The railroad already anticipates an increase in passenger numbers as a result of the new link with the expanded Downeaster line. “The ability to ride from Boston to Rockland by rail for a weekend trip is a very enticing vacation idea,” Garbely said.
The future of passenger service in Newcastle also depends on other factors.
The Maine Department of Transportation currently contracts Maine Eastern Railroad to operate the Brunswick-Rockland line, as it has since 2003. The contract expires at the end of 2014.
Maine Eastern would like to stay. “We do plan to extend our contract, and we have no reason to believe that the state will not renew it,” Garbely said.
The Mid-Coast Limited service will operate Friday to Sunday from July 4 through Oct. 12. The train will depart Newcastle for Rockland at 1:50 p.m. and for Brunswick at 4:20 p.m.
The train to Brunswick will arrive at 5:20 p.m., in time for passengers to board the Downeaster, which leaves at 5:50 p.m.
The Wiscasset Flyer service will offer round-trip service from Wiscasset to Newcastle every Saturday from July 5 through Oct. 4, except July 12 and Aug. 2. The 45-minute round trip will depart Wiscasset at noon.
Wiscasset will have a new train station this year with a permanent station platform and a new ticket office. The railroad plans to renovate an antique caboose to serve as the ticket office.
The Wiscasset stop will move from its present location at the town landing to its historic location on Railroad Avenue, according to the railroad.
The town of Newcastle plans to work with the state to move the existing platform from Wiscasset to the Newcastle station.
“They said we could use it as long as it’s available,” Newcastle public works superintendent Steve Reynolds said at a recent Newcastle Board of Selectmen meeting.
