Council sidetracks support for pulling up rail

LACONIA — In the face of vocal opposition, a resolution in favor of pulling up some train tracks has been placed on a siding while city leaders review competing studies.

Representatives of gated communities, a tourist railroad and a freight train packed the City Council chambers Monday to argue against extending the WOW Trail in place of railroad tracks between Franklin and Weirs Beach.

“In short, I’m asking please pump the brakes on this measure. It could have long and detrimental consequences. Removal of the rails would be short-sighted,” said Benjamin Clark, president of Plymouth and Lincoln Railroad, which owns the The Hobo and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.

“Now if the WOW Trail is worth doing, it ought to be worth doing right. It shouldn’t be done on the cheap. It isn’t something that should be done at the expense of the various operating railroads. It shouldn’t be done at the expense of the dependent shippers, of which there are many. And it shouldn’t be done over the objection of the abutting property owners.

“Please let’s find a way to compromise, find a way to work together and save the rails before making any drastic decisions.”

Competing studies

Clark said his railroad provides $100,000 per year in fees to the state. This figure is 10 percent of ticket sales of about $1 million annually.

He said a study by Stone Consulting, of Warren, Pennsylvania, found that since many train passengers are from out of the area and spend money in the region, the train’s overall impact actually is much larger than its ticket sales and reaches more than $17.4 million annually.

Clark provided an executive summary of the report, but not the full document.

An Alta Planning & Design study, paid for by the WOW Trail committee, said completed trail in place of tracks could generate up to $6.3 million annually. The study said many people who would use a completed trail to The Weirs could serve as customers for the tourist train’s platform at that location.

The train's trip from The Weirs to Meredith wouldn't be directly affected by the trail-in-place of rail proposal, nor would its trips out of Lincoln.

One trip that takes in Lakeport wouldn't be possible. Also, the company, which has a refurbishment shop in Lincoln, would lose its connection to the main line extending through the state and beyond.

The Alta study found it would be much less expensive to pull up the tracks rather than run the trail beside the tracks, which could pose safety concerns. Narrow sections of the corridor would also make it difficult to accommodate rail and trail, and dual use would also put the trail closer to residences and require a fence.

Resolution tabled

Mayor-elect Andrew Hosmer asked Clark to provide a copy of the full Stone report, and the council tabled the resolution so that it could compare the two studies. Mayor Ed Engler, who is on the WOW Trail Board of Directors, was the author of the resolution.

There are more than 8 miles of completed WOW Trail and gaps of more than 10 miles, including a 4-mile section between Lakeport and The Weirs, past gated communities where some residents don’t want to see a public trail near their property.

One of those in opposition to the resolution is a representative of the state of New Hampshire, which owns the railroad corridor and governs what takes place inside it.

Patrick C. Herlihy, director of Aeronautics, Rail and Transit for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, sent a letter to the city two years ago to say train use takes precedence in active railroad corridors.

He sent another letter Monday.

“As the owner of the Concord-Lincoln railroad corridor, the Department of Transportation would like to reiterate our position stated in our letter of November 7, 2017 to Mayor Engler and go on record in opposition to the City of Laconia’s resolution,” Herlihy stated.

“The removal of the rail line in an active rail corridor is contrary to state law (RSA 228:60-a) and would physically separate the line and points north of Laconia would be isolated from the general railway system. As a reminder, the entirety of the line is actively used by two railroad operators that provide tourist excursion and freight railroad service. This resolution would have a negative impact on both services.”

Moses invoked

Engler said at the Monday meeting that the state law is subject to change.

“The point being is that the law was not written by Moses, or not written on a tablet that Moses brought down from Sinai. That law was written by men and women and can be changed by men and women.”

In a previous letter to Herlihy, Engler said, “It is my belief that, long-term, the railroad corridor in question should be put to its highest and best use, with the overall economic vitality of the state, region and city as the measuring stick.”

Councilor Bob Hamel said it's unfortunate that the tourist train company doesn't do more with its downtown depot and that it seldom uses its tracks in parts of Laconia outside The Weirs. 

He also criticized the state for not supporting passenger train travel.

"If New Hampshire is so hot on keeping these rails active, they need to spend some money on them," Hamel said.

Passenger service

State Rep. Charlie St. Clair, D-Laconia, said he would like to see the train corridor preserved for railroad use. 

"The resolution I would like to see you talking about is encouraging the state to bring passenger service back to this area," he said. "I know it's going to take time and I think if we get a different governor, we'd probably have a good chance of that happening."

He said the Downeaster, providing passenger train service from Boston to Brunswick, Maine, has been very successful after many years of no such service on that route.

"The Union Leader and others in this state called it a boondoggle, a waste of time, nobody would ride it," St. Clair said. 

"Now they have five train sets a day and if you don't make a reservation you can't get on.   

"Look what the service has done to Dover, Rochester, Exeter. It has actually caused a lot of development."