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Air and Railroad Freight in Maine

Air Freight in Maine

Air freight transportation is a small but economically important component of the Maine freight transportation system. Air freight transportation is important for the transportation of perishable commodities (such as seafood) and time sensitive goods, including semiconductors and overnight packages. The onset of e-commerce activity has led to growth in small package delivery shipped via air freight of at least 10 percent a year. This pattern is anticipated to grow substantially in the coming decade. Air freight in Maine moves primarily through the Portland International Jetport and the Bangor International Airport. The Auburn and Waterville airports have been designated as regional economic development airports along with twelve other airports around the state that have the opportunity to serve as air freight hubs.

For more information on air freight in Maine, please contact either the Portland International Jetport or the Bangor International Airport through the links below. Also, for more information, contact Rob Elder, in OFBS at (207) 624-3560.

Air Freight Links

• Portland International Jetport

• Bangor International Airport
  
  

Freight Railroads

The state of Maine is served by six private railroads operating over 1,100 miles of trackage traversing most metropolitan and many rural areas of the State. Three of these railroads, the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SL&A), the Guilford Rail System, and the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railroad (MMA), form the core of the regional rail network. The state, through the Three Rail Carrier Strategy, works with these railroads in the development and improvement of state policy.

The state and the three railroads also evenly split the cost of some capital improvement projects. Also, the state of Maine owns over 300 miles of track, some of which is used by short line railroads such as the Maine Eastern Railroad and the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad.

Rail service is an important component of the freight transportation mix in Maine since it is particularly cost-effective when moving high-volume, low-value commodities over long distances and gives shippers another choice besides highway transport when moving their products to market. In recent years, there has been a major effort in investing and improving rail infrastructure by MaineDOT.

Freight Railroad Information

• Freight Railroads operating in Maine

• A history of railroading in Maine

• The Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP) 
  

Freight Railroad Links

• Federal Railroad Administration
• Association of American Railroads
• Operation Lifesaver

 

This page last updated on 6/16/10

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