Area residents and visitors will have another opportunity to think seriously about increased availability of rail transportation the weekend of Oct. 7-8.  The Midcoast Railservice-operated Coastliner will serve as an excursion amenity to the annual downtown Arborfest celebration on Saturday and facilitate car-free access to Damariscotta for visitors to its traditional Pumpkinfest on Sunday.

Saturday round-trip departures from the Visitor Center at 10 a.m. and 12:20 and 2:40 p.m. enable a choice of destination stopover time for travelers in both directions. The new-look, self-propelled, environmentally preferable train will offer a reverse, Bath-based repeat of recent introductory scenic excursions originating in Wiscasset that were very well patronized. While an automobile with two occupants at best delivers fuel efficiency of about 50 passenger-miles per gallon, the 76-seat Coastliner can achieve nearly 200 with far lower particulate emissions. 

A more extensive Sunday trip leaving Bath at 10:30 a.m. will stop at Wiscasset and then proceed to Newcastle-Damariscotta, where a short walk affords ready access to Main Street Pumpkinfest displays, eclectic shops, dining spots and entertainment in the downtown waterfront area.  The return trip will leave at about 5 p.m.  

This year’s Damariscotta celebration is expected to draw a pre-pandemic-sized crowd. A complete four-day schedule of Columbus Day weekend events is available at damariscottapumpkinfest.com. Since seating capacity on the train is limited, reservations are strongly recommended. See coastlinerexcursions.com for details and fares for both days.