WASHINGTON — What if you could travel from Washington to Baltimore by rail in 17 minutes?
Science fiction? Not really. It’s closer than you think, according to the Washington Post.
On Nov. 30, the Maryland Transit Administration will submit a draft environmental impact statement to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a Maglev (magnetic levitation) transportation system between the two cities. The region must still beat out Pittsburgh, the only other contender left from a field of seven, which is proposing a Maglev line from its airport to its downtown. Congress has authorized $950 million to construct a Maglev system after the Department of Transportation selects a finalist.
A 20-mile Maglev system is scheduled to be operational in Shanghai by the end of the year. The Washington-Baltimore system would be 40 miles long and would parallel Amtrak rails. One intermediate station would be constructed at Baltimore- Washington International Airport and a second is being considered for New Carrollton.
DOT’s decision is expected early next year. If the Baltimore-Washington bid is approved and funded, construction of the Maglev railbed would begin in 2006, train testing in 2009 and initial service in 2010.
Project director Suhair Alkhatib said six or seven three-car trains could carry more than 35,000 riders per day at speeds up to 240 mph. He estimated costs for a round trip at $20 to $25 and half that for round trips on a monthly commuter pass.
Once a Baltimore-Washington Maglev proved itself, the system could be extended north to Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and south to Richmond and Charlotte. Maglev could replace or supplement the Acela on the Washington-New York run, perhaps by 2020. Then you’d have “an option that would truly compete with the airlines,” Alkhatib said, estimating a two-hour travel time from inner city to inner city