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No high-speed train will be zooming throughout parts of Maryland.
The federal government has determined the potential multibillion-dollar investment to construct the proposed Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMAGLEV), known as maglev, 鈥渋s no longer feasible,鈥� according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
An upcoming notice in the Federal Register, scheduled to be published Monday, highlights a few of the federal properties along the route between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore that would be affected, such as Fort George G. Meade in Anne Arundel County.
鈥淔ollowing extensive consultation with these agencies, the railroad administration determined the direct effects would have substantial negative effects to agency operations or to important resources managed by federal agencies,鈥� according to the notice. 鈥淚n addition, indirect effects would also significantly impair critical infrastructure and operations and ongoing agency missions.鈥�
However, the decision does not preclude future deployment of the SCMAGLEV technology in the U.S., according to the notice.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has estimated the capital cost to build the project at nearly $20 billion.
鈥淲e want big, beautiful projects worthy of taxpayer dollars 鈥� including high-speed rail,鈥� U.S. DOT Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement Friday. 鈥淭his project lacked everything needed to be a success from planning to execution. This project did not have the means to go the distance, and I can鈥檛 in good conscience keep taxpayers on the hook for it.鈥�
Some Prince George鈥檚 County residents such as Susan McCutchen were ecstatic with the decision.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge deal and it feels a bit overwhelming, almost to the point that you can鈥檛 quite believe it,鈥� she said Friday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e optimistic, but we鈥檙e keeping an eye out still.鈥�
That cautious optimism surfaced late Thursday night after a was circulated from Drew Feeley, acting administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration.
Feeley鈥檚 letter sent to Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary , who鈥檚 scheduled to leave the position Friday, summarizes that the administration will rescind a notice of intent to not prepare an environmental impact statement.
鈥淪ince the award was obligated in 2016, the environmental review process has been paused twice on the Federal Permitting Dashboard. It remains on pause today, where it has been since August 24, 2021,鈥� Feeley wrote Thursday. 鈥淕iven the substantial delay and cost overruns associated with the Project, FRA does not see a viable path to continue investment in the Project.鈥�
Wiedefeld responded in a letter Thursday that the state will comply with the administration鈥檚 request to submit final reports to terminate and close out a cooperative agreement on the project. The railroad administration first awarded the state Department of Transportation $27 million in 2016 for preliminary engineering and environmental review.
鈥淢DOT understands that FRA鈥檚 decision reflects the significant challenges posed by the project, including substantial impacts to federal agencies and federal properties,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淢DOT appreciates FRA鈥檚 partnership in advancing rail infrastructure and safety improvements in the State of Maryland.鈥�
One major supporter of the project was Gov. Wes Moore (D), who watched a high-speed maglev train in April during a trade mission to Japan.
Moore spokesperson Carter Elliott said in a statement: 鈥淚n order for this to be Maryland鈥檚 decade we must continue to investigate innovative technologies that better connect people from where they live to where they work. Although this project had challenges that were insurmountable, we look forward to working with FRA to advance transportation solutions that improve the safety, reliability, and efficacy of our transportation system.鈥�
Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail is the company that was slated to develop the project labeled Northeast Maglev. The was proposed to connect between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore in 15 minutes at a speed of 311 mile per hour; and a trip between Washington and New York in an hour.
The company said in a statement Friday afternoon the administration鈥檚 decision represents a 鈥渕issed opportunity.鈥�
鈥淭he SCMAGLEV would have resulted in over $6 billion in private investment, created more than 160,000 jobs, and replaced 16 million car trips,鈥� the company said. 鈥淲ith cars being the largest source of pollution in Maryland, significant air quality benefits would have been realized. Instead, the Washington, DC metro area will remain number one in the country for the worst traffic, delays, and congestion.鈥�
Besides the company highlighting private investments of nearly $158 million, Northeast Maglev received representation from two of the state鈥檚 biggest lobbying firms: Evans and Associates and Manis Canning and Associates, both based in Annapolis.
However, several state lawmakers have expressed displeasure with the project.
In 2023, Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George鈥檚) and state Sens. Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel) and Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George鈥檚) and former state Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George鈥檚) sponsored legislation that would prohibit state funds from being used toward the maglev project. The didn鈥檛 advance out of the respective committees.
Before Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George鈥檚) was elected to the House of Delegates, he opposed the project back in 2017.
鈥淭his result is a culmination of years of advocacy,鈥� Martinez said Friday. 鈥淭o be here in 2025 and finally have a decision that speaks to what we鈥檝e said the from start, and that this particular project for this particular community doesn鈥檛 work from the environmental impacts to the lack of economic development to the impacts of people鈥檚 homes. I鈥檓 just really appreciative that we can now put this train to bed.鈥�
