The state is continuing to study the possibility of passenger rail service between Portland and Lewiston. The public is invited to a meeting Wednesday in Lewiston to see what's been learned so far, and to offer more input.
Lincoln Jeffers, the economic development chief in Lewiston, says the meeting is a follow-up to public meetings held last year to begin to gauge interest.
"We know from the early meetings about a year ago that folks, certainly a high percentage - I think it was 80 percent of the people who attended the meetings - said, 'Yeah, if it was there I'd certainly use it,'" Jeffers says. "But the question is, would they use it daily? Would they use it monthly? Would they use it a couple of times a year?"
At Wednesday's meeting, officials will discuss what they continue to learn about which tracks trains might use, and where they may stop between Portland and the twin cities. Jeffers says the study group is also beginning to understand costs.
"It really starts, all in, probably about $189 million," he says. "It's, sort of, the lowest cost option, and it would increase from there. And that is just on the construction costs - that's improving the rails, perhaps additional double-tracking areas that only have single track at this point."
And, Jeffers says, there would be an expense for grade crossings.
Jeffers says study results so far seem to point to a more limited, inter-city rail service as being more practical, compared with more frequent commuter service.
But he says there are many questions still to be answered, including where to find the money that might be needed to pay for track upgrades.
Wednesday's meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.
