Freight and General New England RR News

[riptide]

New Rockland Rail Operator Says Dragon Will Use Service on Pilot Basis

The agreement is a major boost to revitalizing the rail line.

www.midcoastvillager.com

A couple significant developments out on Maine’s Rockland Branch. The German company that acquired Dragon Cement didn’t shut the plant down…to the contrary, it’s now resuming freight rail service, albeit on a pilot basis for the time being.

Maine Switching Services (which will operate the branch as the Cumberland & Knox Railroad) is also courting other smaller existing/former customers on the line to try to drum up additional traffic.

On the passenger service side, MSS/CKRR reiterated it intends to run excursion trips over the Rockland Branch and is currently evaluating the operational logistics (equipment needs, station locations, etc) to get a sense of when it can begin offering that service. It’s also open to collaboration with NNEPRA on more robust passenger service, i.e. Downeaster extension.


Meanwhile, this Trains.com article says MSS/CKRR has also submitted a separate proposal to MEDOT to operate the Lower Road from Brunswick to Augusta. From the article:

Reactivating “Lower Road” operations “recognizes the essential need to support freight and passenger operations on the Rockland Branch,” Cumberland & Knox states in a press release. Maine Switching Services president Joe Feero adds, “Limited space in the Brunswick terminal area, as well as Rock Junction, make expansion of rail support facilities limited.”
…
The release notes acquiring the line will “better position CKRR to capture the growing demand for rail tourism, expand on the success of the growing rail cycle industry, and work with business and community partners to develop freight traffic.”

They’ve apparently been engaging the trail lobby head-on to try to move them to the compromise (presumably rail with trail) position for the future of the Lower Road corridor. I’m sure that’s an uphill battle to fight, but credit where credit is due: at least these guys are doing more than pretty much anyone else not only to preserve a corridor that could be viable for passenger service in the future, but also to go about it in a rational manner.

 

[RandomWalk]

Tonight was the first time I can recall seeing a plate F freight running down the Lowell line, alongside the GLX. It looked like a couple of pairs of reefers mixed with gondolas. Is the Produce Center taking rail cars?

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Tonight was the first time I can recall seeing a plate F freight running down the Lowell line, alongside the GLX. It looked like a couple of pairs of reefers mixed with gondolas. Is the Produce Center taking rail cars?

Yes. Not a lot of cars, but New England Produce Center still gets serviced on the Everett runs. And yes, it's primarily Plate F reefers.

Run times to Everett are primarily at night nowadays.

 

[GP40MC]

There's a customer down towards Ciment Quebec that got reefers from time to time. "Preferred [?] ". Also the only customer left at the old NEP site unloaded
cars direct to truck.

 

[RandomWalk]

Preferred Freezer Services according to street view.