PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 26, 2023
Freight trains are making a comeback in Maine – and counting on the state’s rail system to keep pace. Before the pandemic, 1,000 or so trains typically entered the state from Canada each year, averaging around 50 cars long. Last year, 1,557 trains crossed the border into Maine, and the average length stretched to more than 85 cars. That’s a mile-long train. Most of the cargo is paper, pulp and forest products, but there are also chemicals, food, automobiles, farm goods and more. The federal government, MDOT, Canadian Pacific and CSX have been pouring tens of millions of dollars into overdue improvements. Still, more work remains. MDOT predicts the tonnage and value of train cargo in the state will more than double by 2050, and outlines the fixes Maine needs. The upgrades will take $153 million in short-term capital and another $64 million for improvements by 2042.