Purple Line hits milestone as final piece of track is laid
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
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."