AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Transportation has selected Maine Switching Services (MSS), of Unity, to take over operations and maintenance of the Rockland Branch Railroad.

MSS is a privately owned, railroad services company that provides rail car repair in Unity and industrial rail car switching for paper mills in Rumford and Skowhegan. The company already operates on the state-owned Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad in cooperation with the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railway.

MSS intends to resume freight service to existing rail customers on the Rockland Branch this spring and offer scenic train rides and rail excursions by this fall. This will preserve active rail service while MaineDOT continues to evaluate significant bridge infrastructure needs on the line. MSS's proposal does not involve providing host railroad services for an Amtrak Downeaster extension on the Rockland Branch Railroad.

"We believe Maine Switching Services has the experience necessary to provide high-quality freight service for customers on the Rockland Branch Railroad," said MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note, in a Jan. 9 news release. "We look forward to growing our partnership with MSS as we work together to overcome the challenges created by the closure of the major freight shipper on the line - Dragon Cement in 2024."

MaineDOT and MSS will now enter into negotiations on a lease and operating agreement over the next 60 days while MSS obtains operating rights from the Federal Surface Transportation Board and other required certifications. 

The Rockland Branch Railroad is a 56-mile-long, state-owned rail line that runs from Brunswick to Rockland. Service on the line had previously been operated by Midcoast Railservice, Inc. until August 2024.

In September, MaineDOT posted a request for proposals (RFP) for service on the Rockland Branch. MSS was one of five respondents to the RFP.