Feds approve MM&A rail abandonment
Federal rail officials have approved Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway's request to abandon hundreds of miles of rail lines in northern Maine.
The decision by the federal Surface Transportation Board allows the state to buy the 233 miles of rail lines and hire a new operator, according to The Associated Press. MM&A in February filed a formal request to abandon the tracks, saying it was losing millions a year operating the lines. The state in October reached an agreement with MM&A to buy the tracks, which run from Madawaska to Millinocket, for $20.1 million. Funding for the purchase includes $7 million from a voter-approved bond and a $10.5 million federal grant.
MM&A has been embroiled in a legal battle with Canadian National Railway Co. over rights to rail lines that lead to Twin Rivers Paper Co. in Madawaska. A federal judge last month asked the companies to try to reach a compromise before he issued a ruling.
Go to the article from The AP >>
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments