The Maine Department of Transportation on Thursday announced it has chosen Maine Switching Services of Unity to take over operations and maintenance of the Rockland Branch Railroad, the department announced on Thursday.
Service on the 56-mile, state-owned Rockland-to-Brunswick rail corridor was previously operated by Midcoast Railservice, Inc., whose departure last August corresponded with cement-maker Dragon Products announcing it was winding down production at its Thomaston plant.
Midcoast Railservice was the sixth operator on the branch since 1990, according to Railfan & Railroad.
The new operator, Maine Switching Services, is a privately owned rail company that repairs rail cars in Unity and provides industrial rail car switching for paper mills in Rumford and Skowhegan, according to Maine DOT. The company currently operates the state-owned Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad in cooperation with Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railway.
Maine Switching Services plans to resume freight service to existing rail customers on the Rockland line this spring and offer scenic rail excursions by fall, Maine DOT said, noting that the proposal “does not involve providing host railroad services for an Amtrak Downeaster extension on the Rockland Branch Railroad.”
