Last week, Windham Town Council discussed plans to submit a proposed rail trail linking the town with Westbrook for the 2027-29 Maine Department of Transportation work plan.

The trail, which would stretch along the length of the former Mountain Division Railroad, is part of a wider project, decades in the making, that would see more than 50 miles of trail, stretching from Portland to the New Hampshire state line.

Here’s five important things to know about the Mountain Division Rail Trail:

THE MOUNTAIN DIVISION RAILWAY

The Mountain Division Railway was originally opened in the 1870s as part of the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad, which was planned to connect coastal Maine to the St. Lawrence Seaway at Ogdensburg, New York. The Maine portion of the railway stretched 61 miles from the coast in Portland to the state line in Fryeburg.

While initially profitable, the railway declined as the 20th century wore on, with the last passenger riding in 1958, and freight service being stopped by 1983. While the Maine section of the Mountain Division Railway has remained unused for 43 years, a portion of the railway in New Hampshire is still in use as part of the Conway Scenic Railroad.

FRIENDS OF THE MOUNTAIN DIVISION TRAIL

In 1994, more than 20 groups, including rail and trail advocates, as well as representatives of communities along the old railway, joined together to form the Mountain Division Alliance. The group developed a vision for a rail trail stretching the length of the former railway, which led to Maine DOT purchasing 40 miles of the railway, stretching from Windham to Fryeburg, in 1997.

COMPLETED SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL

Currently, the Mountain Division has 10 non-contiguous miles of completed trail. The oldest and longest section stretches 6 miles from Johnson Field, in Standish, to the Cumberland County Soil and Water District in Windham. The section was first opened in 2003, and paved in 2009.

The other completed section is in Fryeburg, stretching 4 miles from the Maine State Visitor Information Center, just east of the border with New Hampshire, until it intersects with Route 113 near White Mountain Regional Airport. This portion of the trail was completed in 2012, and was paved from the beginning.

FUTURE OF THE TRAIL

In September 2021, Maine DOT established a Rail Use Advisory Council for the Mountain Division, consisting of representatives from the towns of Fryeburg, Brownfield, Hiram, Baldwin and Standish, as well as representatives from the state and Portland Water District. The Friends of the Mountain Division Trail hope to connect the existing trail portions.

In 2023, Sen. Rick Bennett sponsored LD 404, which authorized Maine DOT to conduct a multiuse trail on the old Mountain Division Railway connecting Fryeburg and Standish. The legislation passed overwhelmingly, and was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills in June of that year. The following year, Maine DOT released an interim feasibility study on the Fryeburg to Standish portion.

Doug Smith, president of the Friends of the Mountain Division Trail, said the group is currently securing contracts for maintenance, and construction is expected to start by early 2027.

THE TRAIL IN OTHER STATES

In addition to the proposed trail in Maine, Smith said other states on the old Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad had converted portions of rail line. Vermont converted its portion into the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, stretching westward from St. Johnsbury to Swanton. However, in recent years, the trail has suffered severe damage from flooding.

Smith also spoke about the economic revenue generated by rail trails across the country. According to a study from the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, out-of-state tourists on the trail spend an average of $160 per day.