Sen. Rotundo bill to study restoration of passenger rail from Boston to Montreal receives support from the Maine Legislature
AUGUSTA — On May 7, 2025, the Maine Legislature enacted a bill from Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, that would direct legislative advisory commissions with jurisdiction over Maine’s relationship with Canada and New England to study the feasibility of restoring passenger rail from Boston to Montreal. The bill, LD 472 “Resolve, Directing the Maine-Canadian Legislative Advisory Commission and the New England and Eastern Canada Legislative Commission to Examine Restoring passenger Rail from Boston to Montreal,” looks to capitalize on the renewed interest in passenger rail systems that connect New England to Eastern Canada.
“I am pleased that this study, which has no cost to taxpayers, will keep alive the possibility of bringing passenger rail to Lewiston,” said Sen. Rotundo. “It is my hope that someday Lewiston will be linked by passenger rail to both Montreal and Boston.”
If the bill goes into law, the Maine-Canadian Legislative Advisory Commission and the New England and Eastern Canadian Legislative Commission would be encouraged to work with neighboring commissions to conduct high-level policy discussions that would be used as the basis for future evaluations. The bill directs the commissions to report back to the Maine Legislature by December 3 of this year with their findings.
A similar bill was introduced during the 131st Legislature, but due to the timing of appointments made to the Commission, the members were unable to meet in time to conduct the studies.
LD 472 will now be sent to the Governor’s desk, where she has ten days from May 7 to sign or veto the bill, or allow it to go into law without her signature.
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