Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
I was disappointed to see the bill to expand railway service to Orono voted down. Supporters of the status quo argue that highways and buses provide access. But for many Mainers, that access is difficult, unreliable, or unaffordable.
My family experienced this firsthand when a loved one had to travel to Boston several times a week for cancer treatment. Without a rail option, they had to endure long drives or bus rides and stay in expensive hotels, adding stress and cost during an already painful time.
This situation is becoming more common as medical facilities in northern and central Maine continue to close. More residents are being forced to seek care in cities like Boston, but we are offering them few practical ways to get there.
Train travel provides real advantages: comfort for patients, reliability in bad weather, room to rest or work, and direct access to city centers without expensive parking or transfers. Buses often can’t match that experience — especially for those in physical or emotional distress.
Maine needs to stop leaving central and northern Maine behind. I think rejecting this bill sends the message that those outside the southern corridor don’t deserve the same access to healthcare, education, and opportunity. We need infrastructure that serves all Mainers, regardless of where they live.
Kate Pond
Bangor
