The
Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway is a
Class IIA Class II railroad in the United States is a mid-sized freight-hauling railroad, in terms of its operating revenue. , a railroad with revenues greater than $20.5 million but less than $277.7 million for at least three consecutive years is considered a Class II railroad...
freight railroad operating in the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states of
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and the
CanadianCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
provinces of
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Its Canadian subsidiary is the
Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada Company. The entire system is owned by
Rail World, Inc.Rail World, Inc. is a rail transport holding company. Its specialties include railway management, consulting, investment, privatizations, and restructurings. Its purpose is to promote rail industry privatization by bringing together government bodies wishing to sell their stakes with investment...
and is headquartered near
Bangor, MaineBangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
.
History
The railroad was formed in October 2002 by
Rail World, Inc.Rail World, Inc. is a rail transport holding company. Its specialties include railway management, consulting, investment, privatizations, and restructurings. Its purpose is to promote rail industry privatization by bringing together government bodies wishing to sell their stakes with investment...
to combine the following lines that were threatened by the bankruptcy of holding company
Iron Road RailwaysIron Road Railways Incorporated was a railroad holding company which owned several short line railroads in the U.S. state of Maine, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia....
:
- Bangor & Aroostook Railroad
- Canadian American Railroad
The Canadian American Railroad was a railroad that operated between Brownville Junction, Maine and Lennoxville, Quebec between 1994 and 2002...
- Northern Vermont Railroad
Northern Vermont Railroad was a former class III railroad that operated in Vermont from 1996-2002.The Northern Vermont Railroad was created by holding company Iron Road Railways on and began operations on 28 September, 1996 on the former Canadian Pacific Railway's Lyndonville Subdivision and the...
- Quebec Southern Railway
Closing of the sale by the trustee for Iron Road Railways took place in January 2003 when MMA began operations over 745 miles of track. Currently, an average of around 25 trains are operated each day, and the company employs roughly 350 people.
Northern Maine abandonment
In early February 2010, the MM&A filed a
notice of intent with the
Surface Transportation BoardThe Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
(STB) that it intended to abandon 233 miles (375 km) of track in northern Maine, between Madawaska and Millinocket, part of the original Bangor & Aroostook Railroad's mainline, which had been bought by the MMA in 2003.
Affected lines include track serving Houlton, Presque Isle, Caribou and Fort Kent. MMA lines between Millinocket and Montreal, Brownville and Searsport, and Madawaska to Van Buren are not included in this application.
According to the railroad, losses from operating the lines had reached the point where they were threatening the financial health of the entire railroad. The STB subsequently postponed action on the request in late April, after the railroad and Maine officials agreed to negotiate to prevent the lines from being abandoned, which the state said could negatively affect the economy of the area. State legislators proposed that the state buy the lines and contract out freight rail service, similar to lines in
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
On October 20, 2010, the railroad reached an agreement to sell 233 miles (375 km) of track in the northern part of Maine to the state government for $20.1 million. The state would then contract operations on the lines to bidders once the deal was closed. The US government also issued $10.5 million in funds to upgrade and maintain the line.
On 17 December 2010, it was announced that the state was accepting bids for the operation of trackage the state was due to purchase, with the deadline for proposals being 19 January 2011. On 28 December 2010, the STB announced it had approved the abandonment of the tracks in question, allowing the state to purchase them.
On 5 April 2011, it was announced that the
New Brunswick Southern RailwayThe New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
, using its
Eastern Maine RailwayEastern Maine Railway can refer to two separate railroad companies:*Eastern Maine Railway *Eastern Maine Railway , the U.S. half of the New Brunswick Southern Railway...
subsidiary, had been awarded the contract to operate the lines in question. The handover of operations was expected to occur on 1 July, and in order to operate its new trackage, the New Brunswick Southern expected to hire around 30 more employees, as well as acquire additional rolling stock.
Interchange points
B&M/
PARPan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
- Newport, Vermont
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
(via WACR)
CNThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
- Saint John, NB
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
(via NBSRThe New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
/EMREastern Maine Railway can refer to two separate railroad companies:*Eastern Maine Railway *Eastern Maine Railway , the U.S. half of the New Brunswick Southern Railway...
)
- Sherbrooke, QC (via SLQ)
- St. Jean, QC
- St. Leonard, NB
- Ste. Rosalie, QC
Sainte-Rosalie is a former town in Quebec, Canada which was annexed to the town of Saint-Hyacinthe in 2002.-External links:*...
CPThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
CCR
- Newport, Vermont
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
(via WACR)
EMREastern Maine Railway can refer to two separate railroad companies:*Eastern Maine Railway *Eastern Maine Railway , the U.S. half of the New Brunswick Southern Railway...
/
NBSRThe New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
NECRThe New England Central Railroad is a subsidiary of RailAmerica that began operations in 1995. It runs from New London, Connecticut, to Alburgh, Vermont, a distance of .-History:...
- Newport, VT
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
(via WACR)
QCRThe Quebec Central Railway was a railway in the Canadian province of Quebec, that served the area of Quebec called the Eastern Townships, south of the St. Lawrence River. Its headquarters was in Sherbrooke. It was originally incorporated in 1869 as the Sherbrooke, Eastern Townships and Kennebec...
MEC/
PARPan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
- Mattawamkeag, ME
Mattawamkeag is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States located where the Mattawamkeag River joins the Penobscot River. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.-Railroad history:Mattawamkeag's history is inextricably linked to the railroad....
(via NBSR/EMR)
- Northern Maine Jct., ME
Hermon is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,416 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
SLQ/
SLAThe St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short line railroad operating between Portland, Maine on the Atlantic Ocean and Montreal, Quebec on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Canada-U.S...
- Lennoxville, QC
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
WACR
- Newport, VT
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
External links