The Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council was officially formed in April of 2022 by MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note as a result of L.D. 1133, An Act To Amend the Transportation Laws.
The Bill, passed by the State Legislature in 2021, established guidelines for the review of nonrail recreational or nonrecreational transportation use of state-owned inactive rail corridors by Rail Corridor Use Advisory Councils. Advisory Councils will review and make recommendations on the likelihood, economic benefits and costs of potential uses of the rail corridor, including, but not limited to, rail use, trail use or bikeways. Any non-rail use of a rail corridor must be considered by a council to be interim in nature, and all such rail corridors must be preserved for future rail use.
The Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council reviewed the approximately 26.5-mile section of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic rail corridor known as the Berlin Subdivision from railroad mile post 0.0 in Portland to railroad mile post 26.5. The final report and recommendation of the council is located below.
Supporting Documents
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Summary and Recommendations (PDF)
- Berlin Subdivision Rail Corridor Study - Final (PDF)
- Appendix A: Cost Estimates (PDF)
- Appendix B: Demographic and Economic Analysis (PDF)
- Appendix C: Public comments Summary (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – July 2022 (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – August 2022 (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – September 2022 (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – October 2022 (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – November 2022 (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – December 2022 (PDF)
- MaineDOT Response to Questions from Dick Woodbury (PDF)
- MaineDOT Response to MRTC Comments (PDF)
- MaineDOT Response to Questions from Jeremiah Bartlett (PDF)
- MaineDOT Response to Questions from Jonathan LaBonte (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – June 2022 (PDF)
- Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council Public Comments – May 2022 (PDF)
- Maine Narrow Gauge Operating Lease 2020-2049 (PDF)
- Exchange Agreement between Portland and MaineDOT 2017 (PDF)
- Eastern Promenade Trail Corridor Agreement 1995 (PDF)
- Eastern Promenade Trail Corridor Agreement, Modification 1, 2019 (PDF)
- Portland Land License 2017 (PDF)
- Maine Yacht Center Track License (PDF)
- SLA Discontinuance Agreement 2013 (PDF)
- First Amendment to SLA Discontinuance Agreement 2018 (PDF)
- Second Amendment to SLA Discontinuance Agreement 2021 (PDF)
- Municipal Resolutions of Support (PDF)
- Lewiston-Auburn Passenger Rail Service Plan, Operating Plans and Corridor Assessments, May 2019
- Lewiston-Auburn Passenger Rail Service Plan, Transit Propensity Report, August 2018
- Resolve, Economic Evaluation Study for Commuter and Passenger Train Service between Portland and the Lewiston and Auburn Area, June 2021
- Current Members
- Nate Wildes, Executive Director, Live + Work in Maine
- Brian Harris, General Manager, Maine Yacht Center
- Charles Hunter, AVP Government Affairs, G&W RR Services, Inc.
- Tony Donovan, Maine Rail Transit Coalition
- Dick Woodbury, Casco Bay Trail Alliance
- Angela King, Advocacy Manager, Bicycle Coalition of Maine
- Bill Shane, Chair, Town Manager, Cumberland
- Hope Cahan, Town Councilor, Falmouth
- Scott Laflamme, Director of Economic Development, Yarmouth
- Jeremiah Bartlett, Transportation Systems Engineer, Portland
- Natalie Thomsen, Town Planner, New Gloucester
- Jonathan P. LaBonté, Transportation Systems Analyst, Auburn
- Diane Barnes, Town Manager, North Yarmouth
- Becky Taylor-Chase, Town Administrator, Pownal
- Christopher Chop, Transportation Director, Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG)
MaineDOT Staff
- Nate Moulton, Director, Office of Freight and Passenger Services
- Nathan Howard, Director, Rail Program
- Meghan Russo, Manager of Legislative and Constituent Services
- Patrick Adams, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
- Minutes and Agenda
2023
January 26th
- Minutes (PDF)
- Agenda (PDF)
2022
December 22nd
- Minutes (PDF)
- Agenda (PDF)
December 5th
- MaineDOT Presenation (PDF)
- VHB Presentation (PDF)
November 15th
- Agenda (PDF)
- Minutes (PDF)
October 27th
- Agenda (PDF)
- Minutes (PDF)
- Lewiston-Auburn Economic Evaluation Presentation (PDF)
- RKG Presentation (PDF)
August 25th
- Agenda (PDF)
- Eastern Trail Presentation (PDF)
- Passenger Rail Presentation (PDF)
- Meeting Minutes (PDF)
July 28th
- Meeting Minutes
- VHB Presentation
- Freight Service Presentation
May 31st
- Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
April 25th
- Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
- MaineDOT Presentation
- VHB Presentation