BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 30, 2022
A New York-based rail company has proposed a concept to test passenger train service to Rockland, possibly as soon as this summer, but there are many details to be worked out before it can come to fruition. This is the latest in a series of recent proposals to restore passenger rail service to a part of the midcoast that has been without it since 2015. Previous attempts have all fallen through. A major difference between this idea and past proposals is the type of railcar being used. Instead of using full-size Amtrak trains to extend the Downeaster service north, as has been considered in previous plans, self-propelling cars will be used, which are smaller and offer more flexibility based on passenger demand.