On February 5th 2010, the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA) filed a “Notice of Intent ” with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to abandon certain of its lines in Maine. The notice, which is required by the STB, represented a preliminary step in the abandonment process. Last summer when the company first announced it wanted to abandon some of its track, it put the value of that section at $17 million for the track and the land. MMA has an interchange in Newport, Vermont. MMA seeks to discontinue service and remove 233 miles of track in Aroostook and Penobscot counties in the state of Maine. The possibility of abandonment was originally announced in August 2009. Affected lines include track serving Houlton, Presque Isle, Caribou and Fort Kent. MMA lines between Millinocket and Montreal, Brownville and Searsport, and Madawaska to Van Buren are not included in this application. The abandonment would adversely affect some 22 active shippers and other businesses in the region that currently utilize the rail service for freight movement. After the announcement Maine DOT retained an attorney specializing in STB proceedings to represent the state’s interest. Subsequently the attorney filed a request for information with the railroad in connection with the potential abandonment. The State has also started working with Railroad Industries, Inc. (RII), a consulting firm that specializes in finding business solutions for continuing operations on distressed rail lines. In March a public forum was held to discuss the abandonment. Recently the distressed track age became part of a controversial debate over an $85 million bond package that is supported by Maine democrats and opposed by republicans. In the bill is a provision for $17 million to purchase the Aroostook rail. Robert C. Grindrod, president of MMA, said, “We have been working closely with Maine DOT since the possibility of abandonment was first discussed. We are seeking an alternative solution and consider abandonment the last resort in a process that offers several options short of abandonment.” The company says it can get $20-$25 million selling the ties as scrap metal.