Rockland Branch

The Rockland Branch is a railroad from Brunswick, Maine to Rockland, Maine. A charter was granted in 1849 to build a railway from the Portland and Kennebec Railroad on the west side of the Kennebec River to Rockland. Construction through the rocky headlands of the Atlantic coast proved more expensive than anticipated. The Knox and Lincoln Railroad commenced service to Rockland in 1871 using a ferry to cross the Kennebec River between Bath and Woolwich. The Knox and Lincoln was leased by Maine Central Railroad in 1891, and became Maine Central's Rockland Branch in 1901. Maine Central purchased the Samoset destination hotel in nearby Glen Cove (a part of neighbouring Rockport) in 1912, and offered direct passenger service for summer visitors from the large eastern cities. Carlton bridge was completed in 1927 to carry the railroad and U.S. Route 1 over the Kennebec River. Maine Central sold the Samoset hotel in 1941,^[1] and the last Maine Central passenger train to Rockland was on 4 April 1959.^[2] The State of Maine purchased the branch in 1987 to prevent abandonment. The line has subsequently been operated by the Maine Coast Railroad, the Maine Eastern Railroad,^[3] and, beginning in 2016, the Central Maine and Quebec Railway.^[4] In 2019, Canadian Pacific Railway agreed to purchase the Central Maine and Quebec, thereby inheriting the operation of the Rockland Branch.^[5] The acquisition was completed on June 3, 2020.^[6]

Map

In 2021 Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK) subsidiary Midcoast Railservice (MCRI) took over operations of this line.^[7]

On August 16, 2024, Midcoast Railservice filed a petition to discontinue service on the line. This is due to the closure of their main customer, Dragon Cement, closed their plant on the line. According to Midcoast, the line was operating at a loss, generating only 5 cars per month.^[8]

Map of the MEC Rockland Branch in 1920.

Maine Switching Services

Maine Switching Services

Overview
Main region(s)	Maine
Fleet	3 leased diesel locomotives[9]
Parent company	Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad
Locale	Waldo County (B&ML line) Brunswick to Rockland (Rockland Branch)
Dates of operation	2020 (2020)–present
Predecessor	Midcoast Railservice (2024, on the Rockland Branch)
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Other
Website	maineswitching.com

In January 2025, the Maine Department of Transportation announced that the line will be operated by a company called Maine Switching Services,^{[10][11][12][13][14]} which also operates freight trains on the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad.^[10][9][15] MSS now operates freight trains on the Rockland Branch, and plans to operate excursion trains beginning in the fall of 2025.^[10][15]

Locomotive details^{[16][17][18][9]}

Reporting mark	Number	Builder	Type	Build date	History	Status	Assigned to	Notes
LTEX	1524	EMD	MP15	01/1982	Ex-UP Y1371, nee-MP 1371	Operational	ND Paper, Rumford, ME.	Owned by Maine Switching Services
	1585	EMD	GP9u	05/1955	Ex-DSSR 1585, nee-CP GP9u 1585, nee-CP GP9 8533	Operational	Sappi Paper, Skowhegan, ME.	Owned by LTEX
	3902	EMD	GP39-3M (rebuilt GP35)	02/1964	Ex-BNSF 2514, nee-ATSF GP35u 2814, nee-ATSF GP35 1314	Operational		Owned by LTEX

Route mileposts

• Milepost 0: Brunswick junction with Maine Central Lower Road and Lewiston Branch
• Milepost 8.7: Bath with Bath Iron Works shipyard
• Milepost 9.5: Woolwich
• Milepost 20: Wiscasset interchange with narrow-gauge Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway from 1895 to 1933
• Milepost 27.1: Newcastle
• Milepost 28.9: Damariscotta Mills
• Milepost 31.7: Nobleboro
• Milepost 38.5: Waldoboro
• Milepost 45.3: Warren
• Milepost 52.4: Thomaston large cement plant
• Milepost 56.6: Rockland ferry connections to Penobscot Bay^[19]