Officials of Midcoast Railservice, lessee-operator of the state-owned Brunswick-Rockland railroad line since last August, have announced the coming revival of passenger excursions between stations in Bath, Brunswick, Newcastle, Rockland, and Wiscasset.
A new Maine travel experience will be offered on the scenic 57-mile route with environmentally preferable, fuel-efficient, restroom-equipped, big-windowed, climate-controlled “Coastliner” self-propelled railcars.
This initiative is the first step in an experiment with the Maine Department of Transportation to test public response to service in the Rockland Branch rail corridor as a “Coastal Route 2” alternative to parallel highway Route 1.
The trial should provide ridership data and evidence of whether demand can justify service expansion beyond seasonal scope, weekend availability, and minimal daily frequency.
The first vehicle will be on introductory public display during Bath Heritage Days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday, June 30 through July 3.
After further exposure in other online communities, equipment testing, and personnel training, initial operations are likely to involve group charters. The first major event will be short round trips to the Thomaston waterfront for the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Friday through Sunday, August 4-6.
Regular public excursion service is anticipated to start as soon as possible thereafter, featuring two daily trains in each direction Fridays through Sundays. One is expected to be a full-length morning and afternoon round trip from Rockland, the other a midday loop from Brunswick to Bath, Wiscasset, Newcastle, and back, offering a variety of trip lengths and layover times in each community.
For more information, go to coastlinerexcursions.com.
