$53M in federal funds will help upgrade freight tracks in rural Maine

File PHOTO / MAUREEN MILLIKEN The Maine Department of Transportation was awarded $53.3 million for freight rail upgrades. Seen here is the CSX railyard (formerly owned by Pan Am Railways) in Waterville.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The Maine Department of Transportation has been awarded $53.3 million for making needed upgrades along 140 miles of freight rail track in Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Washington counties.

The money will also go toward rehabilitating dormant tracks that provide a connection to the One North Bio-Industrial Park in Millinocket.

The funding was awarded through Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, a program of the Federal Railroad Administration.

Eastern Maine Railway, which operates the lines, and One North will contribute the 20% non-federal match required for the project, for a total project cost of more than $66.6 million.

“This investment will make critical safety and reliability upgrades to enhance freight rail service in rural Maine,” said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“Repairing and expanding our state’s rail network will strengthen economic opportunities and support jobs throughout the state by connecting our rural communities to national and global markets.”

The grant will support substantial improvements, including installation of over 86,000 new crossties and more than 108,000 tons of ballast, replacement of jointed rail with continuously welded rail, installation of equipment defect detectors and upgrading seven highway grade crossings.

Rehabilitating yard tracks and other improvements at One North are expected to support the Maine forest products industry and new and sustainable industries in the Katahdin region.

Rehab and replacement

Maine’s rail transportation network includes eight freight rail carriers and the national passenger carrier Amtrak, which together operate across 1,072 miles of track within the state.

The freight carriers range from two transcontinental Class I railroads, CPKC and CSX, to short lines and terminal railroads, which provide vital connections and support functions.

Freight rail service needs include infrastructure upgrades — such as rail and tie replacement projects, bridge rehabilitation and construction of passing sidings — to keep rail service competitive, improve safety, enhance operational performance and reduce ongoing maintenance costs.

New and improved intermodal terminals, bulk transload sites and carload facilities are also needed, the state has said.

The Maine Rail Service and Investment Program consists of 33 freight projects that were organized as either short-term projects, taking place from 2023 through 2026, or long-term projects designated for 2027 through 2042.

Examples of those projects include:

Rehabilitate trackage between Bangor and Moosehead.
Maintain and expand the freight car fleet in Maine and beyond to meet customer needs.
Replace approximately 75 miles of rail and approximately 55,000 ties, upgrade 72 grade crossings and reinforce five bridges between Waterville and Mattawamkeag to accommodate freight cars and increase speeds from 10 mph to 25 mph.
Provide rehabilitation and betterment to more than 138 miles of track in northern Maine.
Fund mainline, railyard, port and spur track improvements leading to One North, as part of the development of a “production-to-port” rail transportation corridor connecting One North to the deep-water port in Searsport, for the global export of Maine-produced wood pellets.