What's Hot: Douglas Development Files PUD For Large Warehouse At New City Site Along New York Avenue
The Two Routes For Getting From DC to Baltimore in 15 Minutes
✉️ Want to forward this article? Click here.
Last fall, UrbanTurf reported on the progress that had been made on selecting a route for a superconducting magnetic levitation (maglev) system that would ferry passengers from DC to Baltimore within 15 minutes. Now, the Federal Railroad Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation have narrowed route options down further.
As the maglev team works to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, a report was released last month that identifies two potential routes worth studying for the high-speed rail system. The option to build nothing will also be retained and studied alongside the two routes.
The first route, "BWP Modified East", has elevated tracks that generally follow along the east side of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway through the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), the Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR) and Fort Meade. The train would tunnel under DC until after the Beltway and from Fort Meade to BWI Airport and then to its terminus in Baltimore.
story continues below
loading...story continues above
The second route, "BWP Modified West", has elevated tracks along the west side of B-W Parkway, going through BARC and avoiding PRR. The train on this route would also tunnel under DC until after the Beltway, and would tunnel under Fort Meade before turning east toward BWI Airport and its Baltimore City terminus.
Both routes would involve going under Anacostia Park; both also avoid the National Arboretum and are considered to have the least impact on residential areas.
![The Two Routes For Getting From DC to Baltimore in 15 Minutes: Figure 3](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2018/02/maglev-dcstazones550.jpg)
![The Two Routes For Getting From DC to Baltimore in 15 Minutes: Figure 4](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2018/02/maglev-bmorestazones550.jpg)
The maglev system would have three underground stations -- in Baltimore City, at BWI Airport, and in the District -- with entrances either on the street or within buildings.
The station in Baltimore would either be in the Westport-Cherry Hill area, around Inner Harbor or in Port Covington. In DC, the station would either be around NoMa-Gallaudet or Mount Vernon Square. At all three stop locations, a zone with a one-mile radius has been identified for study.
Going forward, the team will analyze both routes to determine alignments, the "Limits of Disturbance", and the potential locations of stations and support facilities. Both routes will also be compared to the costs and benefits of a "no-build" option.
See other articles related to: baltimore, high-speed trains, maglev, mdot
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc-to-baltimore-maglev-train-narrowed-to-two-potential-routes/13535.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
![First-Timer Primer: Tax Relief for DC Homeowners](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2013/02/Homestead_Exemption_280.jpg)
When you buy a home in the District, you will have to pay property taxes along with y... read »
![A 127-Unit Luxury Condo Building In The Works For Downtown DC](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2024/07/resized/950%203rd%20Street%20Dusk%20EXT_image_560x420.jpg)
The largest condominium building in downtown DC in recent memory is currently under c... read »
![HPO Recommends Approval For 160-Unit Office-To-Residential Conversion in Dupont Circle](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2024/06/resized/1201-Conn_image_560x420.jpg)
The plan to convert a Dupont Circle office building into a residential development ap... read »
![Beautifully Constructed Condominium in The Bridge District is Now 50% Sold](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2024/07/Riviere%20article/resized/2305%20Nicholson%20St%20SE%20405-0003_image_560x420.jpg)
The Rivière includes just 20 homes located on the eastern banks of the Anacostia Riv... read »
![Monday's Must Reads](https://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2024/07/resized/bubble_image_560x420.jpg)
Why Tyra Banks is serving ice cream in DC; a bike shop/record store opens in Adams Mo... read »
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro