Maine’s newest short line began operations on May 31, becoming the eighth operator of the scenic Rockland Branch in the past 40 years. In hopes of outpacing the previous operator, Maine Switching Service’s Cumberland & Knox Railroad is actively seeking new traffic on the former Maine Central route. 

On May 31, LTEX GP9u 1555 (ex-Canadian Pacific) led the first freight east of Brunswick since June 2024, when its predecessor, Midcoast Railservices, ceased operations. The train consisted of 12 loaded cars for Dragon Cement in Thomaston, including four cars filled with cement and eight cars carrying blast furnace slag, a byproduct of the steel-making process that strengthens concrete. Consequently, the train weighed 1,700 tons, exceeding what a single geep could manage. The train was brought to Bath, where it was split into two sections and then taken to Waldoboro. Afterward, the train was reassembled for the remainder of its journey to Thomaston. 

Dragon has long been the primary customer on the Rockland Branch. However, last year it halted cement production at Thomaston. Consequently, Midcoast (a subsidiary of Finger Lakes Railway) decided to shut down operations. Later, the cement facility was sold, and it is now functioning as a cement distribution center for the area. Finn Kelly, government affairs manager for Maine Switching Services, said the Cumberland & Knox will likely operate once a week to serve Dragon, and that’s actively trying to attract additional business on the route. When Midcoast Railservice shut down last year, it occasionally transported carloads of scrap and lobster bait (aka: fish heads). After Midcoast Railservice ceased operations, the remaining customers had to truck their materials to the CSX Transportation yard in South Portland. 

Maine Switching Services was founded in 2022 and operates the state-owned Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, as well as providing switching services at paper mills in Rumford and Skowhegan. —Justin Franz