A train company is on track to increase train speeds through Maine, impacting several communities, including Winthrop, Auburn and Waterville. In Lewiston, the plan is raising safety concerns.
CSX Transportation has upgraded 481 miles of track across the state, allowing its freight trains to travel at speeds of up to 40 mph, compared with the previous speed of 10 mph. The company says the trains will begin speeding up in the next 30 to 90 days, with the goal of improving the efficiency of rail operations.
But Lewiston City Councilor Joshua Nagine is concerned that residents are unaware of the changes.
“We are past the day and age when you can just sneak around the barrier and not worry about the train moving at 10 miles an hour,” Nagine said.
CSX is reminding drivers and pedestrians to never drive or walk around railway crossing gates when they are down. The company also advises drivers to ensure there’s enough room on the other side of the tracks before crossing, so they don’t stop directly on the tracks.
At Central Maine Medical Center, where CSX tracks run behind the hospital, employees expressed concerns about the potential risks of increased train speeds.
“There are a lot of people walking, doing walking loops around the hospital,” said Bogdan Coroi, a medical center employee. “We want to maintain a fairly low speed so nothing can happen.”
Train crossing safety barriers, however, are the responsibility of the city, not CSX.
“The barriers are the old-school partition that kind of drop down and you can easily walk past them or drive through them,” Nagine said.
Nagine said had the city been alerted to the speed change earlier, it might have set aside money for improvements. He said his focus now will be on educating the public about the new speeds, and advocating for improvements, including fences or upgraded barriers around the tracks.
