Maine Senate Bill LD511

Maine 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/7/25
• Refer: 2/7/25
• Failed: 4/22/25

Caption

Resolve, to Direct the Department of Transportation to Implement the Recommendations of the Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council

Summary

LD 511 is a resolve directing the Maine Department of Transportation to implement the recommendation of the Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council for the Berlin Subdivision rail corridor. The bill would require MDOT, subject to available funding, permits, and municipal agreements, to remove inactive state-owned railroad track on the corridor between Portland and Auburn and replace it with an interim bicycle and pedestrian trail surfaced with pavement, gravel, or stone dust. The resolve is tied to the advisory council process created under Maine law for evaluating rail corridor uses. It references the council’s multi-month review and its majority recommendation for interim conversion of the corridor from rail to trail. The measure also reflects the existing statutory framework that requires legislative approval before converting a state-owned rail corridor to a nonrail use when the department controls the right-of-way.

Impact

If enacted, LD 511 would direct MDOT to take physical action on a state-owned inactive rail line in the Berlin Subdivision by removing track and establishing an interim multiuse trail. It would affect state transportation policy, rail corridor management, and the use of public right-of-way, while also implicating local municipal agreements, permitting, and available funding. The bill operates within Title 23 rail corridor statutes and the State Railroad Preservation and Assistance Act framework, which preserve corridors for possible future rail use even when interim nonrail use is authorized.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment appears supportive of the rail-to-trail conversion, as reflected by the bill’s sponsorship and the underlying advisory council recommendation. The text emphasizes that all communities along the corridor supported forming the advisory council and that the council ultimately voted for interim trail conversion. No committee vote or hearing transcript is provided, so there is no recorded opposition or detailed debate in the available materials.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely to be the removal of existing rail infrastructure, the balance between preserving the corridor for future rail use and converting it to an interim trail, and the conditions attached to implementation. The bill makes clear that action is contingent on funding, permitting, and municipal agreements, which suggests possible concerns about cost, local consent, and long-term transportation planning. Any opposition would likely come from rail preservation advocates or parties favoring maintaining the corridor in rail-ready condition rather than converting it to trail use.