RAILforum: Washington Post article on Washington

This is topic Washington Post article on Washington–Baltimore Maglev (proposed) in forum Amtrak at RAILforum.

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Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5978-2002May11.html

One of the things that this article claims is that the cost of a Maglev guideway would be $100 million per mile (ouch! electrified HSR corridors, at approximately $5 million per mile, sound like bargains by comparison).

IMO, the only way to get Maglev to become a desired medium is to get freight haulage into it. Imagine double-stackers zipping along a Maglev guideway at 300 mph or so...? (limited by curvature, not by grade as much)

Posted by MPALMER (Member # 125) on :

Where would the terminals be? Would the cities really allow them to be anywhere near the current downtown rail stations?

Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :

I agree that it would be a colossal waste of money. A 300MPH maglev train on a 40 mile project would be overkill. The minutes saved would be inconsequential on a short run, and certainly not worth the cost.

A longer run such NYC to DC, which might make better use of the technology, would cost a whopping $22 billion. As much as Amtrak has swallowd up in 30 years, and more than the entire annual federal aviation budget.

Now for a real laugh. According to the article, the ultimate goal is to get a maglev train from Boston to Atlanta. At $100 million per mile that would cost $131 billion, which is about 1.7 times the annual highway budgets of the federal government AND all 50 states combined, just for one train!

Methinks certain transportation planners have their heads in the clouds.

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

Posted by drew_henderson (Member # 1480) on :

Actually its a test segment and does seem to make more sense than the shorter line from downtown Pittsburhg to their airport. At least it could be extended if the technology proves itself.

"The federal government would pay $950 million, local and state governments would pay $500 million, and the rest would come from bonds that would be paid back with fare revenue."

So at $18.75 million (public money) per mile (assuming 80 miles of 2-way structure) its not that unreasonable a cost for a test project. Total cost of the NHV-BOS electrification ONLY upgrade was $400 million for 242 miles.

We can't just live in the present without developing for the future. BUT if this is a choice between developing some urgently needed new corridors with existing technology (or for that matter spending more on NEC maintenance) or this new project then I would have to vote against it as well.