A private company, backed by $50 million in funding and some well connected supporters, hopes to kick start a plan to build a magnetic levitation train route from Washington to New York. The technical and financial obstacles are many.
Could Amtrak have some new competition in the chase for the lucrative Northeast Corridor high-speed rail market?
"The Northeast Maglev [TNEM], the 25-employee company founded in 2010, is looking to develop a high-speed magnetic levitation system that would bring passengers from Washington to Baltimore in 15 minutes and to New York in 60 minutes, at speeds of 311 miles an hour," reports Catherine Ho. With an advisory board stacked with well connected figures such as former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell and former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, and $50 million in private funding, TNEM is "seeking financial, community and political support," report Michael Dresser and Kevin Rector in The Baltimore Sun.
Though TNEM is a private company, it is working closely with engineers from Central Japan Railway, and appears to have support from the highest levels of the Japanese government. "Unlike past proposals, the TNEM group says it can count on financing from a Japanese government bank, reflecting Tokyo’s eagerness to launch the new superconducting maglev technology — developed by Japan Central Railroad — in the U.S. Northeast Corridor," write Dresser and Rector. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe personally presented an offer including "the use of the technology and 'substantial financial support' — with no amount specified — for a Washington-Baltimore line" to President Obama in a February meeting.
FULL STORY: Organizers line up big names to push new high-speed rail line linking D.C. to N.Y.
Feds Award nearly $28 Million for Washington to Baltimore Maglev Project
The 105-year old Hudson River Rail Tunnels may desperately need replacement, but the Federal Railroad Administration also has an eye on the future, awarding $27.8 million to prepare a maglev application between Washington and Baltimore.
D.C. Has Concerns About Parking and the Cost of Maglev Proposal
Washington, D.C. officials are urging modifications to key components of a proposal to build a maglev system between D.C. and Baltimore, citing disruptions to neighborhoods and cost concerns.
Federal Review of High-Speed Maglev Train Between D.C. and Baltimore Nearing the Finish Line
The Federal Railroad Administration recently released a preliminary study of a proposed high-speed maglev train route between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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