Aroostook Partnership for Progress discuss track improvements

    CARIBOU — “We are making progress but as a railroad we want to get better,” said Ian Simpson, general manager of J.D. Irving’s rail properties including the Maine Northern Railway (MNR), speaking Nov. 29 to a group of shippers at the Northern Maine Development Commission.
    Simpson was invited to update the business people and economic development officials at the request of Bob Dorsey, president of the Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP). APP is a public-private partnership dedicated to aggressive and effective results-oriented economic development.
    “It’s been a year and a half since MNR took over the 241 miles of rail line in Northern Maine which was abandoned by Montreal, Maine and Atlantic and we had been hearing second hand about some of the improvements and how rail can benefit the economy in the region,” said Dorsey.
    Simpson said that in the past 18 months, cars per week have grown from 100 to about 239. In 2013 the company is pushing for 301-plus cars a week.
    “We are chasing 300-plus a week,” he said. “That is what we are geared up for now.”
    He added improvements made thanks to the $10.5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant are resulting in faster track speeds which will help the short line become more competitive. Branch lines in Houlton and Presque Isle have gone from 10 mph to 25 mph and the main lines will be increasing in the near future. The biggest speed increase will be from Millinocket to Oakfield, which will rise to 40 mph.
    Part of the TIGER grant called for replacing 50,000 ties. Simpson said about 49,000 have been replaced so far. He added other target goals, such as surfacing, ballast, replacing culverts and others, are moving along nicely. Simpson indicated about $3.5 million out of the original funding is still available to make further improvements next year.
    Employment with the MNR is up from 23 full-time jobs at the start to 37 right now. There are also an additional 23 temporary jobs in connection with the TIGER grant improvements.
    One issue MNR is facing is a short supply of some types of rail cars, especially chip and log cars, but Simpson said his staff will work with shippers to solve potential problems.
    “That is a challenge out there right now for some sectors,” he said.
    Simpson also told the shippers about improvement like the Brownville Junction bypass project which should cut down on transport times. He also said the company wants to create more options for shippers by increasing the number of interchanges between other rail carriers like CN, Pan Am and MMA.
    Dorsey noted after the meeting that “indications are that national housing new starts are trending upward and manufacturing in The County is increasing so having a solid rail service in Aroostook County is critical for many of our larger manufacturing companies to remain competitive — and with diesel prices rising and Tier 4 diesel engine standards coming, we envision that rail will be even more essential in the future.”