Alain Ouellette, of the Northern Maine Development Commission, at the 2012 National Rural Transportation Conference.

1. The “why”, “when” and the “how”…
Alain Ouellette, NMDC

3. Industrial Rail in Aroostook County
•1891-1995: Bangor & Aroostook Railroad: (Potatoes &
Wood Products)
•1995-2002: Iron Road Railways (Paper & Wood Products)
•2003-2011: Montreal Maine & Atlantic

4. Some Facts
• Abandonment process August 14th 2009
•233 official miles, up to ~280 including
spurs
•80%-90% of the volume shipped is Forest
products in various forms
•Note: County had already lost +160 miles
between BAR & AVRR (ATV Trails)

5. Affected
businesses:
Fraser Paper (Twin Rivers)
Fraser Timber
Irving Woodlands LLC
PIIC
Portage Wood Products
FRG
McCain Foods
Lane Construction
Dead River Oil
Moose River Lumber
MPG
Maine Woods Co,
Cavendish Agri-Services
One Steel
Maine Public Service
Gardner Chip Plant
Huber Engineered Woods
Seven Islands
Lew Rioux
Columbia Forest Products
Louisiana Pacific
Tate & Lyle
Domtar
Old Town Fuel & Fiber
1726 jobs threatened in “The County”
766 direct + 960 indirect

6. Immediate Involvement by NMDC
Contacts initiated to assess shipper concerns
Fall-Winter 2009
• Meetings in DC
• State hires Railroad Industries Inc.
• Interviews between RII and shippers

7. Winter/Spring 2010
-State bills worked on in Augusta
-MM&A
-Railroad Industries Inc Report released:
“…the line is viable, but it will need work…”
-the role of Maine’s Congressional Delegation…

8. Spring/Summer 2010
• MM&A officially files for the abandonment
• $18 million dollar bond to purchase the rails passes
•NMDC Shipper Meetings
•-10.5 million TIGER II application filed by MDOT

9. Summer-Fall-Winter 2010
• STB hearing
•Negotiations …
•Deal reached for 20.1 million, 18 million bond, 1 million private + loan “clawback”
•STB abandonment is dropped
•Filing of $10.5 million TIGER II grant successful
-Deal signed January 2011 under new State administration

10. 2011 and to date…
•Request for Proposals for Operator
•TIGER funds are obligated
•Respondents
Rail America
Eastern Maine Railways
Patriot Rail
Myles Group
Pan Am
•Final selection was EMR
•Average speed from 15-35mph
•100 cpw to 300cpw…

11.  “We are NOT going to lose this rail!”
Ryan Bushey, Louisiana Pacific
 “Engage our shippers and keep them involved throughout
the process”
Robert Clark, Executive Director, NMDC
 “Begin your background work early…”
Dave Cole, Commissioner MDOT
 Don’t let the bastards get you down…”
Nate Moulton, MDOT Rail Program