Portland Passenger Rail

[F-Line to Dudley]

The Mountain Branch will be a rail trail before they're ever ready to entertain the option of east-west rail. Frankly, the more time they waste studying this at arm's length the less time they spend figuring out the logistics of an easily effective express bus. Analysis paralysis FTW, and it's clouding the Union Station siting process.

 

[markhb]

I do think that one of the reasons Sites 1 or 2 weren't chosen (besides the desire to maintain the current Portland maintenance facility) is that they don't want to get into an eminent domain battle with the owner of both those sites: MaineHealth, aka Maine Medical Center. Because that cozy "nonprofit" of a hospital will lawyer MaineDOT into the ground.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

I do think that one of the reasons Sites 1 or 2 weren't chosen (besides the desire to maintain the current Portland maintenance facility) is that they don't want to get into an eminent domain battle with the owner of both those sites: MaineHealth, aka Maine Medical Center. Because that cozy "nonprofit" of a hospital will lawyer MaineDOT into the ground.

I can't for the life of me fathom why they are placing Thompson's Point layover on such a pedestal. It hasn't been used as a regular yard ever since the Brunswick extension opened and shifted the maint base out there. It only takes very occasional non-revenue equipment extras, which is hardly an essential function. And if they ever did need space for a Portland layover the unused CSX Yard 8 has plenty of space almost as nearby. It's as disposable as they come.

 

[riptide]

I can't for the life of me fathom why they are placing Thompson's Point layover on such a pedestal. It hasn't been used as a regular yard ever since the Brunswick extension opened and shifted the maint base out there. It only takes very occasional non-revenue equipment extras, which is hardly an essential function. And if they ever did need space for a Portland layover the unused CSX Yard 8 has plenty of space almost as nearby. It's as disposable as they come.

The idea that Site 3 is the only option that can facilitate convenient train movements into Thompson’s Point is only true if you assume that no track infrastructure mods can be made. Seems like they could restore the missing leg of the wye pretty easily, and that would let them access the Mountain Branch from a better-located station site. This idea was never mentioned in their study, as far as I can tell, so it’s not clear if they considered the possibility.

 

[riptide]

Cumberland postpones rail-to-trail vote, abutting property owners opposed

The Casco Bay Trail Alliance, which seeks to alter the Berlin Subdivision rail corridor to add a trail looping from Portland to Lewiston/Auburn, is asking towns along the route to sign off in support. Cumberland recently voted to postpone a decision.

www.pressherald.com

The Casco Bay Trail Alliance (bike lobby) is hoping to get Portland City Council to pass a resolution next month in favor of converting the Berlin Subdivision into a trail. This is the alignment that the 295 bypass would tie into. Clock’s ticking on that option continuing to remain on the table.

 

[markhb]

It's a pipe dream. The Union Branch is in the abandonment process if it isn't already completed. Personally, I'd be more interested in the line serving revived industrial uses on Presumpscot Street, but no one has been beating the drum for that.

 

[kpimeasap]

I'm just going to leave this here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=15tyYZEwi1go13wGsAKCCCqwCN8uZrQg&usp=sharing

I am going to be building a Google site to handle constructive feedback. This is a fantasy map, I hope it inspires you or someone you know to think bigger than the endless vacuum that car dependency has become. Remember, true freedom is having more than one option for mobility than just a car.

According to Investopedia via Voronoi, the average household (of which there are 131m in the US) will spend $811k over a lifetime on a personal vehicle. If 38% of households switched entirely to rail as their main source of mobility, that would $40.6t available to construct and maintain that multi-generational investment.

So what are we waiting for? And an acceptable answer is NOT that cars are the way it's always been; I submit every piece of history that people moved around prior to 1910 as evidence.