Augusta and Waterville are the dynamic duo of Kennebec County. Both have redeveloping downtowns. Both are economic, educational, and cultural centers for the region that complement each other so well. Augusta has the University of Maine at Augusta, the Civic Center, Fort Western, and the Maine State Museum. Waterville has Colby College and Thomas College, the Opera House, and the Maine International Film Festival. They share the same beautiful Kennebec River Valley.

Another thing Augusta and Waterville share is a rail line, called the “Lower Road,” that links the two downtowns to each other and to the burgeoning “Downeaster” corridor that extends from Brunswick to Portland to Boston. The presence of the Downeaster passenger rail service has been a catalyst for the economic prosperity that York and Cumberland counties have enjoyed for the last 20 years.

Extending passenger rail service northward through downtown Augusta and downtown Waterville would provide a scenic, efficient, year-round, car-free link between the two downtowns and be the catalyst that extends the Downeaster prosperity to Kennebec County. Why should the benefits of passenger rail be limited to southern Maine?

Edward Hanscom

Gardiner