ROCKLAND – Gordon Page, vice president and director of passenger operations for Maine Eastern Railroad, was a program presenter earlier this month during the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association annual convention in San Antonio, Texas.

The four-day conference, which was attended by more than 1,500 railroaders from around the nation, included educational breakout sessions dealing with legislation, finance, legal, technology, marketing and operations issues.

Ed Ellis, president of Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC, led a discussion about how to be successful at creating and supporting passenger rail service on a short-line railroad. Maine Eastern began passenger operations between Brunswick and Rockland in 2004, and has experienced significant growth in passenger numbers each year, according to a company news release.

Owned by Morristown & Erie Railway in Morristown, N.J., Maine Eastern is preparing for the arrival of the Amtrak Downeaster to Brunswick in 2010, and plans to offer connecting service to Rockland and Augusta while continuing its excursion service and freight operation.

Maine Eastern has started its season with an abbreviated schedule, before kicking in its full five-day service on June 25.

For information, go to www.aslrra.org or www.maineeasternrailroad.com.