SUN JOURNAL • March 6, 2025
Maine lawmakers are under growing pressure to yank up the state-owned railroad tracks between Auburn and Portland and create a 26-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail that would cost as much as $36 million. The proposal is being met with mixed reviews. Lewiston resident, Stephen Burger, said, “Connecting Auburn to Portland via bike path would support the economies of all the towns along the way” and would likely prove “a tourist draw for the many cyclists who visit our state from away — again, an economic benefit.” Charles Hunter, an executive with the Vermont-based Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, said the proposal “could create impediments for any future rail service to return to the Portland-Auburn route,” though a second line exists that is still in use.