By GARY REMAL
Staff Writer Sunday, March 18, 2007

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Workmen for the Morristown & Erie Railway work to renovate Pullman Comet 1 railroad cars at the firm's Morristown, N.J., yard in anticipation of their use in Maine to provide passenger service between Augusta and Brunswick to link up with the Amtrak Downeaster.

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Rail service will be expanded if state officials can find a way to get Amtrak service north from Portland to Brunswick, said Alvin Siebold, director of safety and security for Morristown & Erie Railway.

Morristown & Erie is the parent company of Maine Eastern Railroad, which holds leases from the state on rail lines between Brunswick and Augusta, Rockland and Lewiston-Auburn.

Providing passenger service beyond the end point for Amtrak's successful Downeaster gives the Portland-to-Brunswick expansion added impetus with federal officials, Siebold said. That, in turn, could mean a resumption of rail service to Augusta and Rockland.

"Going capital to capital -- they like that," Siebold said. "You'd have the ability to travel from Augusta to Washington in one day."

Augusta has been without regular passenger-rail service for nearly a half-century, according to Earle Shettleworth Jr., director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

There are many hurdles remaining before that changes, but momentum may be building. On Friday, a leading state senator proposed a bond package that would expand rail service from Portland to Brunswick.

And in Washington, Senate Democrats are proposing a massive funding increase for Amtrak, and that is fueling speculation that rail service could expand. It's anyone's guess whether that will pass.

The connection to Brunswick is critical for Augusta service because the Brunswick link provides a hub leading to the state-owned rail lines beyond.

Maine Eastern Railroad already has successful excursion trains running to Rockland from Brunswick from May to November. That service began in 2004 with special trains put on for the Rockland lobster festival at the request of Gov. John Baldacci, said Maine Eastern Director of Passenger Operations Gordon Page Sr.

Maine Eastern Railroad also has been asked to provide some short-haul commuter services to large employers like Bath Iron Works to reduce traffic congestion on Route 1, as well as provide service to Augusta, Siebold said.

"Amtrak is making a commitment" to come to Brunswick, Siebold said.

Before that can happen, he said, the track to the state capital will need upgrading in order to maintain a speed of 40 to 45 miles per hour.

Five years ago, Maine began one of the most successful rail projects in the country with the restoration of passenger service between Portland and Boston.

Since then, the Downeaster has provided four round trips from Portland to Boston run by Amtrak under contract to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.

"Last year, we had the highest percentage growth in ridership of any place in the Amtrak system," said Patricia Quinn, the authority's executive director.

She said the train also had the highest passenger-satisfaction rate and was among the top two or three rankings in the country for on-time performance.

A fifth, daily round trip is scheduled to begin as soon as additional track sidings can be built, at a cost of $6 million, to allow more places for trains to pass one another. No one can say when the Downeaster will pull into Brunswick, but momentum to do so is growing. Quinn estimated costs to upgrade the track between Portland and Brunswick at $30 to $70 million.

Senate President Beth Edmonds proposed legislation on Friday calling for the state to borrow the money necessary for rail improvements on the Pan Am railroad tracks between Portland and Brunswick. Pan Am previously was known as Guilford Transportation.

Legislation is being considered in Congress to reauthorize Amtrak funding nationwide for the first time in nearly a decade. The original legislation would have provided only about the same level of funding, but Senate Democrats are seeking a big increase.

New flexibility in how the money could be spent might benefit the expansion of services like the Downeaster, although passage of the bill as it currently reads is by no means guaranteed, congressional officials say.

"Congress has a responsibility to provide adequate guidance in its reform while providing the resources necessary to upgrade equipment and preserve Amtrak's legacy," said Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.

Snowe serves on the Senate Commerce Committee which reviews Amtrak's funding. "This past January, I joined several of my colleagues in introducing the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act in hopes that we can provide a secure future for Amtrak and encourage the expansion of the rail service, in particular the popular Downeaster service offered from Boston to Portland."

Most people say the timing for expansion of the Amtrak run to Brunswick is very much up in the air. But Siebold says he has reason to be confident the move will happen soon.

"I really think we're looking at no more than two or three years out," Siebold said. "We're already working on equipment. We're working on locomotives and passenger cars in New Jersey. We wouldn't be making that investment if we weren't pretty sure something was happening."

With rising gas prices and renewed interest in transportation alternatives in Congress and elsewhere, expansion of rail service has taken on renewed interest.

"We'll be ready before Amtrak," Siebold said. "This is something we have been actively negotiating. They view us as a value-added service to go beyond the hub" in Brunswick.

Although state officials say a line to Lewiston-Auburn has traditionally had a higher priority, Siebold said his company plans to start up service to Augusta next while enhancing its existing service to Rockland.

"Rockland is a tourist route. I'd say Augusta is more a business route but one where we can bring visitors as well," he said.

State Deputy Transportation Commissioner Gregory Nadeau cautioned that expansion of commuter rail services is a long-term goal for Maine.

"In states like Maine, we're just beginning to see the real move to commuter rail, something you might see 15-20 years down the road," Nadeau said.

The state is in the process of doing preliminary work on the Portland-Brunswick link to ensure it can be eligible for future federal funding programs, he said.

"Clearly as gas prices go up, people change their driving habits. The first thing they do is drive less, and gasoline consumption is down almost 1 percent from the last biennium," said Nadeau.

His agency tracks gas sales carefully because much of its budget depends on fuel taxes.

Gary Remal -- 621-5642

gremal@centralmaine.com