Maryland's Maglev railway train is closer than ever to reality as the U.S. Dept of Transportation released a $27.8 million grant to support the state's bid to construct a superconducting maglev train line that will connect Baltimore and Washington D.C.
"Maryland will be on the leading edge of technology as the only state in the nation with the private-sector-led pursuit of SCMaglev," Pete Rahn, Maryland Transportation Secretary, said in a press statement.
The Maryland maglev railway will drastically improve commuting time if the speed of maglev trains elsewhere in the world would be an indication. Japan's maglev train, for instance, holds the world's speed record of 600 km/h posted earlier this year, according to The Guardian. It is not yet known if Maryland's maglev train system will be able to equal this feat. It is expected, however, to reduce commute time between Baltimore and Washington D.C. from one hour by car to an astonishing 15 minutes.
"The ability to travel between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. in only 15 minutes will be absolutely transformative, not just for these two cities, but for our entire state," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was quoted as saying in a Popular Science report.
The final cost of the Maryland maglev rail line is estimated to be $9.75 billion. The Dept. of Transportation's grant is a mere drop in the bucket, but the local government is confident that the project will be realized through the cooperation of the private sector. Japan has also promised to shoulder half of the anticipated cost, while it also agreed to license its maglev technology for free.
