Is a Maglev train proposal between D.C. and Baltimore a White Elephant?

Enthusiasm for 'maglev' train between D.C., Baltimore mounts - as does opposition

Opponents of a proposal to build a high-speed train line that could make the trip between Washington and Baltimore in 15 minutes are asking state and federal officials to kill the project.

From article, (“Our infrastructure is old and straining. The car traffic is terrible. The rail infrastructure is 100 years old. And the airports are overcrowded. So we got to do something about it,” Rogers said. “We have to move on this today.”

Japanese media have reported that the nation’s government has offered $5 billion in financial backing for the Maryland line, while Central Japan Railway, the train operator, has said it will not charge any licensing fees for the technology. Northeast Maglev would have to raise the remainder from public and private sources, company officials said. Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pitched the Washington-to-New York maglev as an opportunity to invest in infrastructure at a 
White House visit last February.

Maryland has since pursued grants for the project and has looked at other initiatives that could bring a high-speed transportation system to the state. Maryland recently gave conditional approval for construction of a tunnel from Baltimore to Washington as part of entrepreneur Elon Musk’s plans to build a super-high-speed transportation system known as the Hyperloop. Musk’s Boring Co. envisions tunnels that will cart goods and people underneath major cities in vacuum-sealed tubes at high speeds.

 Maglev proponents say while the Hyperloop remains a concept, maglev is a proven technology already carrying passengers. “We are talking about bringing a train that already exists, it’s already been designed. It’s already something that you can ride on,” Rogers said. And it has financing commitments.

Project leaders say the maglev line is planned to run about 60 percent underground; the aboveground portion would be built on less developed areas of the corridor, reducing impact on residential communities.

They also say ticket prices probably would be slightly more than an Acela fare. The one-way adult business-class fare between Washington and Baltimore costs about $46.

The project has the backing of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), and the state has received a $28 million federal grant to cover impact studies. If things go as planned, construction could begin as soon as 2019, with service starting in 2027, officials said.)

Me, "The pluses for this transportation project is it has the backing of Maryland's governor and has $5 billion dollars in financing from Japan, but the problem always comes down to NIMBY. The only way to solve this is not Eminent Domain but placing the whole line underground. The ticket price needs to be rethought. It needs to run closer to Amtrak's prices or lower to stimulate ridership. In the end though it comes down to marketing. How is the governor selling this plan? Does it come off as a plus or a minus to people. So, far it seems to have just upset people."