Purple Line hits milestone as final piece of track is laid
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The Purple Line is coming together in Maryland — the final track was laid on Thursday.
Why it matters: We've been waiting for the 16-mile light rail line between New Carrollton and Bethesda for close to 10 years.
State of play: It's 90% complete.
- Up next is the installation of overhead wires. The streetcars will run mostly on dedicated tracks, with stops along commuter corridors and urbanizing streetscapes. Then, final safety tests.
- The public will get to ride in winter 2027.
How it works: The Purple Line will have 21 stops, and riders will be able to hop onto Metro lines — Red (Bethesda and Silver Spring), Green (College Park) and Orange (New Carrollton).
- It will also hook up to the MARC commuter rail (Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton) and Amtrak (New Carrollton), not to mention many bus lines.
- The trains are meant to be quieter than heavy rail, and station platforms are more robust than a bus stop but smaller than a Metro station, so they fit easily into the neighborhoods.
Zoom out: Those communities are getting a boost from the new transit, spurring housing and retail development along the line.
- Gov. Wes Moore's administration says it has committed a $3 million investment to help businesses within half a mile of stations spruce up their exteriors.
Catch up fast: Construction began in 2017, then ran into contractor disputes (the private company quit the job), the pandemic, and rising costs.
- It's costing nearly $5 billion more than initial estimates, and it's five-and-a-half years late, the Washington Post reports.
What they're saying: "A lot of people fumbled the ball," Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Thursday after officials ceremonially slotted the final tracks with purple hammers.
- It's been "a long time on the path to getting here," Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said Thursday. "But I'm glad we're here."
