KENNEBEC JOURNAL • December 2, 2022
Some advocates for preserving the state-owned rail corridor, which for long stretches follows the Kennebec River between Augusta and Brunswick, for the restoration of train service continue to express concerns that, once the rail corridor known as the Lower Road is converted to use as a recreational trail, trains will never come back. Advocates for converting it into a trail, meanwhile, argue doing so will have a far greater impact on the economic, and physical, health of the communities along the corridor than an active rail line would, and that it may be able to accommodate both rails and trails. But many participants in a recent Zoom discussion of a proposal to study making changes to the corridor said they just want to see either proposal move forward so the scenic, valuable asset can be used, not just sit unused as most of it has for decades.