Maine Rail Traffic Could Double by 2050 as State Logs 13 Derailments Since 2023
CPKC and CSX have invested in Maine's rail lines as freight traffic grows, but 13 derailments since 2023 include one that spilled fuel near Rockwood.
Freight rail traffic through Maine is growing as two major North American railroads invest in the state's tracks and a New Brunswick port expands container shipping, according to the Bangor Daily News. CPKC, the company Canadian Pacific formed by taking over the former Central Maine and Quebec line and then merging with Kansas City Southern in 2023, has put about $90 million into Maine and Vermont infrastructure since arriving, spokesperson Terry Cunha said. CSX, which bought Pan Am Railways in 2025, has spent $100 million on former Pan Am track across New England and raised speed limits on some Maine lines to 40 mph from as low as 10 mph. Both railroads connect to Port Saint John in New Brunswick, where container traffic has grown 175% since 2021 to nearly 240,000 containers a year after $247 million in upgrades finished in 2025. State officials project Maine's rail freight volume could more than double by 2050. Longer trains have frustrated some residents, including in Jackman, where waits of 30 minutes are common, and federal data shows 13 derailments in Maine between 2023 and 2025, including one in Rockwood that spilled fuel. A separate company is seeking approval to reopen two dormant Maine rail lines.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
