Cost of building a Westbrook-to-Portland rail line pegged at up to $74M
Courtesy / VHB
A map of a proposed rail line linking Westbrook and Portland, estimated to cost up to $74 million.
Connecting Portland to Westbrook via passenger rail would cost an estimated $54 million to $74 million, says a new study released on Tuesday.
The study was prepared by VHB of South Portland for the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and Waterstone Properties Group, the Massachusetts-based developer of the Rock Row mixed-use development in Westbrook.
VHB evaluated the opportunities and challenges of a potential rail link between the two municipalities in a service that would intersect with the Amtrak Downeaster, Concord Coach Lines and Metro bus, opening up new ways to travel within and outside the region.
Completing a link would require several steps from property acquisitions to infrastructure improvements at various points along the corridor, as well as city approvals, station construction and funding.
The rail service would mainly make use of existing, unused tracks, but two new terminal stations would need to be added, one in Westbrook and another in Portland, the authors note.
They also said that the final price tag depends on a host of infrastructure variables like track and signal upgrades or grade crossing improvements or station construction, and that funding could come through federal money dedicated for public transport and infrastructure improvements.
Tuesday's news release notes that the estimated cost "is a fraction of what other cities have spent to introduce rail without the benefit of existing infrastructure."
The report's intended audience include elected officials and community leaders.
As a next step, the groups will seek to get a consensus with transit agency and elected officials to start due diligence and apply for federal funding.
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority has also conducted a study for creating pedestrian trails for walking and biking adjacent to the rail lines, in order to provide safe and direct access to downtown. Executive Director Patricia Quinn, who has seen other large-scale initiatives come together, underscored the need for broad public, private and government support.
"A project of this size and scope will require the cooperation and support of not only the commuters who will use the service, but also local businesses, landowners and government officials," she said. "But from what we are hearing from residents and businesses alike, this is something the Portland area is more than ready for."
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