DC to Baltimore high speed train potential routes

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
After completing a federally-funded environmental study, the Maryland Department of Transportation and planners for a Superconducting Magnetic Levitation have three proposed routes for the journey between DC and Baltimore.

The main route that has been publicized would have a station in either the Mount Vernon Square/Chinatown area or near NoMA/Gallaudet Metro station, a stop at BWI Marshall Airport, and a final stop in either the Westport, Port Covington or Federal Hill/Inner Harbor neighborhoods. The tunnels for the routes could either run alongside the Baltimore-Washington Parkway or parallel a portion of Amtrak’s lines.

The project planners hope to have a route approved by mid-2019, paving the way for design and construction to begin later the same year. After completion, the line would eventually be extended northward to New York City.
https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/b...s_a_proposed_route_for_high-speed_train/13135

This boondoggle of a project is back. For anyone who thinks govt. cares what you think, a public meeting will take place tonight in DC and Oct. 24 in Baltimore.
http://baltimorewashingtonscmaglevproject.com/index.php/public-involvement/upcoming-meetings

Now, to the nitty-gritty.

If you believe the website, project costs are expected to be anywhere from $10-$15 billion. I say that because the California high speed rail project is already over budget by 50% (in a $64 billion project) and 7 years over schedule.

All the routes proposed are about 35 miles long. So given the $15 billion estimate, that's $420 million PER MILE.

According to estimates, a 4 lane highway through a suburban or urban area costs $10 billion. So, a 1,500 mile long, 4-lane highway can be built for the same cost as this 35 mile lone maglev train route.

$15 billion could resurface 12,000 miles of road (or, about a 1/3rd of the roads in MD).

WMTA (which runs the DC buses and Metro) has an operating budget of $1.7 billion while the MTA (which runs Baltimore buses, light rail, and MARC train) has an operating budget of $787 million. That $15 billion could fund both agencies for 7 years without focing taxpayers to pay nor riders to pay.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/b...s_a_proposed_route_for_high-speed_train/13135

This boondoggle of a project is back. For anyone who thinks govt. cares what you think, a public meeting will take place tonight in DC and Oct. 24 in Baltimore.
http://baltimorewashingtonscmaglevproject.com/index.php/public-involvement/upcoming-meetings

Now, to the nitty-gritty.

If you believe the website, project costs are expected to be anywhere from $10-$15 billion. I say that because the California high speed rail project is already over budget by 50% (in a $64 billion project) and 7 years over schedule.

All the routes proposed are about 35 miles long. So given the $15 billion estimate, that's $420 million PER MILE.

According to estimates, a 4 lane highway through a suburban or urban area costs $10 billion. So, a 1,500 mile long, 4-lane highway can be built for the same cost as this 35 mile lone maglev train route.

$15 billion could resurface 12,000 miles of road (or, about a 1/3rd of the roads in MD).

WMTA (which runs the DC buses and Metro) has an operating budget of $1.7 billion while the MTA (which runs Baltimore buses, light rail, and MARC train) has an operating budget of $787 million. That $15 billion could fund both agencies for 7 years without focing taxpayers to pay nor riders to pay.

Why tunnels. Tunnels are trouble.Tunnels are expensive, Tunnels have no communications or communications are lousy at best. Get a fire in a tunnel and it's tough on travelrs and firefighters.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Why tunnels. Tunnels are trouble.Tunnels are expensive, Tunnels have no communications or communications are lousy at best.

you don't have to deal with the political fallout from forcing people from their homes when you bulldoze entire neighborhoods for this project





and to the OP WTF do we need High Speed Rail to Baltimore

[that is a throw away question Chris no need to answer]
 
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Hijinx

Well-Known Member
It would seem to make a lot more sense to put regular rail addition to the subway from Census Bureau station of Metro to Lexington Park.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
What a bizarre idea.

Ride up the corridor and see the parking lots filled with people waiting for a commuter bus.
A commuter bus that sits in the same traffic as commuters.
The metro should have been extended years ago.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Ride up the corridor and see the parking lots filled with people waiting for a commuter bus.
A commuter bus that sits in the same traffic as commuters.
The metro should have been extended years ago.

Not necessarily metro, but an electrified passenger rail that interconnects with metro and continues into NoVA. All that operated as an integrated rail system rather than the mish-mash of VRE, MARC and Amtrak. As long as the federal buerocracrats at Amtrak control the northeast corridor rail and Union station, there is little chance for improvement.

Oh, and if you throw 2-3 bil in CSXes direction, they'll gladly move their traffic onto a bypass around DC to open up trackage into the city.
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
I always see these kinds of things as solutions looking for a problem.

Seriously, is there really a need for people to go from Baltimore to DC?
When I am in either area, DC area people go to DC or No VA, Baltimore people to the area around it.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
It would seem to make a lot more sense to put regular rail addition to the subway from Census Bureau station of Metro to Lexington Park.



at least down Route 5 to Waldorf with a couple of acres of parking garages

with stops in
Camp Springs
Clinton North / South
Brandywine North and South
Pinefield
Waldorf North / South
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
at least down Route 5 to Waldorf with a couple of acres of parking garages

with stops in
Camp Springs
Clinton North / South
Brandywine North and South
Pinefield
Waldorf North / South

If you want to turn Waldorf into PG, thats the way to go. Oh wait, the Dorf is already turning into PG-South...

For the Rt5 corridor a separate grade 2 lane busway would be the ticket. Access controlled, not like an HOV lane. Only buses, no copcars, no carpools. Only professional drivers with 50+ seat buses. This could run from Branch Ave to Beantown and the buses can fan out from there into the Dorf, on to La Plata', down towards SMC. 500mil is all that would take.
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
I always see these kinds of things as solutions looking for a problem.

Seriously, is there really a need for people to go from Baltimore to DC?
When I am in either area, DC area people go to DC or No VA, Baltimore people to the area around it.

The funny thing is, there's already a train between DC and B-More.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
If you want to turn Waldorf into PG, thats the way to go. Oh wait, the Dorf is already turning into PG-South...

For the Rt5 corridor a separate grade 2 lane busway would be the ticket. Access controlled, not like an HOV lane. Only buses, no copcars, no carpools. Only professional drivers with 50+ seat buses. This could run from Branch Ave to Beantown and the buses can fan out from there into the Dorf, on to La Plata', down towards SMC. 500mil is all that would take.

Like you said Waldorf is already a PG clone.
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
The funny thing is, there's already a train between DC and B-More.

From their website, it seems the primary reason for doing it is some study that required them to look into it.

I can see the wisdom of fast transport from DC to NY. That's traveled enough to actually have a whole airline mostly dedicated to that.
But DC to Baltimore? Who in either city cares if it takes them 15 minutes or 45?
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
you don't have to deal with the political fallout from forcing people from their homes when you bulldoze entire neighborhoods for this project





and to the OP WTF do we need High Speed Rail to Baltimore

[that is a throw away question Chris no need to answer]
THAT'S my question... How long does it take for a NORMAL train to do 35 miles??

Is a 10 minute saving worth ALL of that cost??
 
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