Trains Are About to Start Travelling Much, Much Faster Through Central Maine Intersections

When I was a kid growing up here in Central Maine, I remember trains being a common part of my childhood. I grew up in the Randolph/Gardiner area and trains were still commonplace on the tracks coming into Gardiner from the Richmond area.

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In fact, where we lived, we could often hear the loud and bellowing blows of the train horns as they rolled into town and across busy intersections. However, much of that has now changed and that particular set of tracks has been dormant for many years.

Are lots of trains still chugging around Maine?

However, trains of the freight variety are still an important part of Maine's infrastructure system as several pass through and around the state on a daily basis. One of the places where you often see trains passing through is Waterville/Fairfield.

It's not uncommon to be driving through the area and have to stop for the flashing red lights as a very long, and very heavy, freight train hauling everything from lumber to heating oil to pass through the intersection.

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And most of the time you have to sit at those blinking lights for quite sometime because the trains aren't really 'zipping through' those busy intersections. Though according to a post from the City of Waterville, that's all about to change.

Do trains really have speed limits like cars?

You see, just like cars, trains are also bound by speed limits in certain areas, and one of those speed limits is about to increase.... by a bunch. According to the City of Waterville Facebook page, the city has been notified by CSX of increasing train speed limits. Their post goes on to say in part,

Good morning Waterville! CSX has notified the City that train speeds are increasing from 25 MPH to 40 MPH between mileposts WAT 113 and WAT 116. For context, WAT 113 is located near College Avenue and WAT 116 is located between Marston Road and Rice Rips Road. This change aligns with federal safety regulations and will not impact grade crossing safety.