Embracing rail as an option for passenger and freight transport in Maine isn’t exactly a “Eureka!” moment for the Maine Department of Transportation. The success of several statewide railroad projects over the past several years has more than proven its current worth.

Plus, the historical value of rail transportation to Maine, especially to Lewiston-Auburn, is well-documented. The railroad was key to L-A’s emergence as an industrial center, and the vehicle that carried thousands of French-Canadian immigrants into the cities, whose arrival now defines our community’s identity.

Today, Lewiston’s railroad history is, well, history. The Grand Trunk Railroad Depot on Lincoln Street still stands, though its letters are fading, on the doorstep to Railroad Park. Auburn, however, is thriving, as its intermodal facility is the site of current and likely future developments.

In his book, “The Growth of a City,” local historian and Bates College professor Doug Hodgkin says competition between railroads led to freight rates plummeting on the L-A lines, which benefited the economy. Competition at Auburn’s intermodal facility is also vigorous among varied companies.

We hope history repeats itself.

Locally, freight is the railroad’s major purpose. In Portland and points south, however, the re-establishment of passenger service through Amtrak has been, by all accounts, a rousing success. For daytrippers, college students and commuters, the Downeaster has become a viable and well-traveled transport option.

Northeast of Portland, from Brunswick to Rockland, Maine Eastern Railroad’s passenger service has enjoyed a different success. Its presence has become an amazing novelty for tourists and locals alike, with leaf-peeping and special, holiday-themed, trains among the most popular offerings.

As a summertime option to Route 1 traffic, however, is perhaps is greatest transportation attribute, mitigated only by the quizzical failure to make restoration of railroad lines between Portland and Brunswick a priority. Some believe this short stretch the key to Maine’s rail future.

There are practical reasons for embracing rail. MDOT says there’s a direct correlation between rail utilization and “direct benefit” for the state’s highways and bridges. It’s this scenario that has officials finally converting the agency’s neutrality toward freight rail into a position of advocacy.

Rail is valuable to Maine. The railroad arguably built L-A, and its continuing renaissance through passenger ventures like the Downeaster and freight operations such as Auburn’s intermodal facility are merely more proof.

Add to this that long-haul truckers are captive to the cost of diesel, and gasoline prices are a barometer for Maine’s crucial tourist economy. The former is now suffering, and the latter certainly could, the longer pump prices stay north of $3-per-gallon. Other options, like rail, are needed.

We wonder why the state took so long to get aboard.