Proposal for 31-mile western Maine rail trail could go before Legislature as early as next year

MAINE PUBLIC • August 22, 2022

Next year will mark 40 years since trains last moved along the Mountain Division's tracks west of Portland. It may also be the year the Maine Legislature is asked to approve turning 31 miles of that track into a recreational trail. This past May, an advisory committee voted 11-1 to remove the rails and ties and pave a 10-foot-wide path. It would be available to hikers, bikers and, in winter, snowmobilers.