A recent story and editorial in the Baltimore Sun highlight many aspects of the proposed magnetic levitation train currently being discussed for the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
From the story,
…after 50 years and billions of dollars in Japanese research and development, JR Central says their maglev train is ready for its big roll out — and not just in Japan, where the company has already begun an $80 billion project to extend the mountain test track into a 272-mile commercial line from Tokyo to Osaka by 2037.
For nearly a decade, the company also has been working with a team of well-connected U.S. partners to lay the groundwork for a second maglev line along the Northeast Corridor, perhaps some day to Boston. In its first phase, they say it could transport travelers from Washington to Baltimore in 15 minutes, and later from Washington to New York in an hour, with stops along the way at BWI Marshall Airport and Philadelphia, among others.
While the editorial raises some considerations, it opines that the use of this technology could reduce our carbon footprint.
But there’s a global context to this as well. Wide-scale adoption of maglev technology could provide a missing piece to our efforts to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
The full story and editorial, links below, provide detailed information about the technology, project status, routes and more.
