Maine: Brunswick to Rockland, Passenger Rail Service - A Family Vacation Adventure.
Transporting passengers of all ages to a bygone era of luxury and worry-free travel, the Maine Eastern Railroad is the newest attraction on Maine's celebrated scenic coastline.
Earlier this summer, Maine Eastern Railroad, owned by the New Jersey-based Morristown & Erie Railway (M & E), kicked off its first full season. The train provides roundtrip passenger service Thursdays through Sunday from Brunswick to Rockland with stops in the coastal communities of Bath and Wiscasset now through Labor Day weekend. Weekend transportation will continue through Maine's famed foliage season with the train scheduled to run through October 31.
Morristown & Erie Railway's first passenger rail service came to Maine in the summer of 2004 at the request of the state's governor, John Baldacci, who hoped that the company could provide consumer service to support the hugely popular Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland using their already existing freight line between Brunswick and Rockland, set some 55 miles apart.
As a result, M & E inaugurated Maine Eastern Railroad, providing train service between the two towns starting during the festival in late summer. The train's arrival marked the first time in decades a major passenger train has serviced Maine north of Portland. 2005 marks the railroad's first full season, and increased marketing efforts and an expanded schedule are expected to draw new attention to the state's newest attraction.
"An entire generation has missed out on this experience," said Jonathan Shute, Maine Eastern Railroad's general manager. "This is relaxing, hassle-free travel that gives families the chance to experience first-hand what was once America's most fashionable, functional and fun way to travel."
The Maine Eastern passenger fleet is comprised of restored streamlined stainless steel railcars from the Art Deco era of the 1940s and 1950s and recently fully rebuilt to today's standards of safety and comfort. From the comfort of first-class climate-controlled coaches, passengers will have a front row seat to some of Maine's most breathtaking seascapes from the train's expansive windows.
Operating from the Cedar Street stop in Brunswick, Maine Eastern meanders along the craggy coast for two hours, stopping in Bath and Wiscasset before arriving at Rockland's original train station, just two blocks from the Farnsworth Art Museum and the legendary waterfront. Along the way, passengers will spot charming seaside villages, sailboats tacking in the breeze, swooping gulls soaring overhead, perhaps a meandering moose, and during the fall, trees that glow with a kaleidoscope of color.
The train is expected to be a boon
to Maine's tourism industry, giving the state's visitors an easier, more luxurious way to travel up the state's storied coast. In addition, the train will also relieve traffic on Route 1 and is another exclusive service that makes Maine unique as a destination, tourism officials say.
With a focus on being family-friendly, Maine Eastern Railroad is striving to keep tickets affordable. A roundtrip ticket from Brunswick to Rockland and back is $30 per person, or $75 for a family package that includes two adults and two children. There are also discounts for seniors and children, as well as shorter trips with reduced fairs for those who wish to take a quick daytime jaunt up or down the coast.
"Maine Eastern Railroad is unique in that it not only is providing our visitors with a new perspective of one of our state's most spectacular regions, but it's also providing a service that makes Maine more visitor-friendly and easier to explore," said Dann H. Lewis, director of the Maine Office of Tourism.
State transportation officials and Maine Eastern Railroad representatives add that they are optimistic that one day, rail service will run from Boston to Rockland, making Maine even more accessible. Currently, the Amtrak Downeaster runs from Boston to Portland and the hope is that rail service will eventually be extended northward to a planned new station in Brunswick.
For more information about Maine Eastern Railroad or to purchase tickets, visit
www.maineeasternrailroad.com
