INTERMODAL · FREIGHT · PASSENGER · TOURIST
Correction to a comment in
the June minutes: Claremont & Concord Railroad:
We are pleased to note that Jeff Albright reports the C&C not only does not
have a bridge, but is receiving 286,000 rail cars on a regular basis. Good news indeed.
July 23 Meeting Minutes: The meeting which opened at 7:05 with an attendance of 25 souls
at the historic Ashland, NH railroad station, was designed as a forum to
explore tri-state economic development which might be fostered by northern tier
rail revitalization. Featured guests were our friends Ray Burton 24 year
veteran Governor’s Councilor, Sharon Penney North Country Council
Transportation Planner, Peter Snyder Principle of Vermont Rail Link, and Jack
Sutton of Maine Rail Group/ Downeast Rail.
Business was deferred until the next regular meeting.
Ray Burton congratulated the NHRRA in
it’s ongoing dedication to economically viable and economy enhancing
revitalization of historic rail corridors throughout the state. He also predicted a new era in
transportation development including rail under the new commissioner, Carol
Murray. He cited MBTA operation to
Nashua by 2004, the publication of the updated NH Rail Plan, completion of the Flying Yankee restoration by 2002, and
the Federal designation of the Nashua - Lebanon corridor for a High Speed Rail
link between Boston and Montreal. He is
in favor of a “Rail Division” being established in NHDOT with the same stature
as aviation and highways. Ray concluded
with an invitation to an upcoming open meeting in Meredith, several useful
handouts, and encouragement in our efforts.
Sharon Penney recounted her family
background in transportation and her own background in rail. She revealed that 24 hour traffic counts in
the North Country’s congested highways detected ‘mostly trucks”, and that there
was a real need for active rail to share that traffic load. She underscored the need for more “rail and
highway” studies to find ways of effecting this transition, and pointed out the
importance of rail service to support economic and industrial development in the
North Country area. She said that a “working
forest”, supported by a viable transportation system was key to Industrial
Economic Feasibility in the North. She
underscored “public education on transportation”, the NHRRA mandate, as an
ongoing necessity to obtain support for railroad revitalization in New
Hampshire.
Peter Snyder discussed his rewarding
experience with the 150 volunteer supported Adarondack Railroad in New York,
and how it translated to his approach to revitalization and operation of the
St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County in northern Vermont. He discussed the business opportunities in
the Littleton NH - St. Johnsbury - Morrisville corridor, including forest
products, bulk commodities and
excursion trains. He emphasized that
the benefits of rail must be expressed to the general public in an
understandable manner in order to get past bias against rail in transportation
funding. He said public-private
partnerships are a must to revitalize the rail transportation which is so vital
to our outlying communities. Peter
suggested there was wisdom in establishing a Portland - St. Johnsbury - White
River Jct. action group.
Jack Sutton reviewed the history of the
Maine Rail Group (MRG) which was organized to save the “lower road” between
Brunswick and Auburn. He pointed out
that the “Mountain Division Alliance” represented only the Maine portion of
that corridor, and had largely evolved to a “trails” interest. As for the Mountain Division from Portland
to St. Johnsbury, VT (and possibly to Swanton), Jack also suggested a tri-state
alliance would be necessary to mobilize the required support, and that
industrial and economic development would benefit from revitalization of the
corridor. He also discussed the
benefits to tourism of an RDC or DMU loop
between Portland and White River Jct. (Amtrak both ends) through Fryburg,
N. Conway, Crawford Notch, Whitefield, Lunenburg, St Johnsbury and Wells
River. Jack also plugged the
consolidated New England rail map produced and continuously updated by the MRG.
Peter Griffin summarized the consensus
that greater northern tier cooperation was needed to preserve and revitalize
the States’ and communities’ mutual transportation and economic development
interests, and underscored the NHRRA’s commitment to supporting that effort.
Credits: The NHRRA is deeply indebted to the Ashland Historical Society
for the use of the wonderfully restored Ashland Railroad Station.
Recorded: Paul W. Chapman
[Paul
W Chapman <milepost10@juno.com>
8/9/01 11:27 PM]
