![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
An item in this morning's Metro pointed me to an op-ed in Saturday's Manchester Union Leader, in which Pan Am Railways CEO David Fink proposes not just that New Hampshire should go forward with its Lowell-to-Manchester commuter rail plans but that PAR should be the company to run it. This is fascinating given predecessor Guilford's general enthusiasm about not running trains (that long string of NHN hoppers next to I-93 exists because Guilford wanted to abandon its line to Ossipee, NH, and New Hampshire arranged a sale to Boston Sand and Gravel instead). It's somewhat consistent with the NS joint venture, where PAR wants to have good track but doesn't actually want to maintain it itself.
I'd be a little concerned where Fink states that "Pan Am has relied heavily on its past experience with...the Downeaster service from Portland to Boston". And, oh yeah, of course there's the little liability question, but nobody at all is even questioning renegotiating CSX's liability deal in Massachusetts (hint: it's a major block in selling the Framingham-Worcester line to the T). As I read the article he proposes going to Concord (the official NH plan stops in Manchester), and he hints at running trains through to Boston (the official plan requires a transfer in Lowell).
I'd be a little concerned where Fink states that "Pan Am has relied heavily on its past experience with...the Downeaster service from Portland to Boston". And, oh yeah, of course there's the little liability question, but nobody at all is even questioning renegotiating CSX's liability deal in Massachusetts (hint: it's a major block in selling the Framingham-Worcester line to the T). As I read the article he proposes going to Concord (the official NH plan stops in Manchester), and he hints at running trains through to Boston (the official plan requires a transfer in Lowell).
