US Transportation Department announces $900 million Maryland Purple Line Light Rail project

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A $900 million federal grant agreement for the development of the Maryland Purple Line Light Rail Project was recently announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The project, which spans 16.2 miles, will connect Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma-Langley Park, College Park, and New Carrollton to three different Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) rail lines, all three Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail lines, and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line.

“The Purple Line is a great example of what can be achieved when federal, state and private partners work together,” DOT Secretary Elaine Chao said during the project’s announcement ceremony. “Combining U.S. Department of Transportation resources with private funds, this project is well on its way to transforming public transit in urban Maryland.”

Chao continued, stating that the project was an excellent example of leveraging a transit project through a public-private partnership (P3) and that they held great potential for revitalizing [the nation’s] infrastructure and demonstrate how communities’ projects can benefit through access to additional funding resources which can accelerate project delivery and provide greater innovation.

The project also includes the construction of 21 stations, two storage and maintenance facilities for vehicles, and the procurement of 25 articulated light-rail vehicles.

According to the DOT, the project will make travel across Maryland’s Montgomery and Prince George’s counties faster and more reliable for state residents, while improving access to major business and activity centers.