Trucks began hauling rail for the future Purple Line into downtown Bethesda at the end of March. Now you can see the first trackage for the light rail line between Bethesda and New Carrollton under the bridge on East-West Highway. Standard-gauge rail has been laid atop concrete ties on a gravel railbed. To the left is the parallel right-of-way for the Capital Crescent Trail, which will be rebuilt alongside the rail line.
You can also see how much wider the Purple Line is than the single-track CSX freight railroad that originally used this right-of-way between Silver Spring and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Had regional railroad history turned out differently, it might have ended up being this wide anyway. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad originally constructed the Georgetown Branch railroad as its future gateway from the north to the south, and were attempting to reach a bridge over the Potomac River it had planned to build.
If this project had come to fruition, today it would be a major interstate rail corridor and gateway to the south. Like many other main lines, it might have widened to two or three tracks. However, the B&O scrapped those plans when the Pennsylvania Railroad finally granted it permission to use its Potomac bridge.
The B&O continued to use the Georgetown Branch for over 60 years to deliver freight to customers at Chevy Chase Lake, downtown Bethesda where Bethesda Row is today, the industrial area at River Road, the former U.S. Defense Mapping Agency site that was established in 1942 in the Brookmont area, and on the Georgetown waterfront. Through mergers, the line was later operated by the Chessie System, and ultimately, CSX.
CSX upgraded the track of the Georgetown Branch, which had fallen into such poor condition that engineers were forced to cap their top speed at 10 MPH on some sections. But their investment was ultimately a complete waste of money. When CSX ceased operations and received permission to abandon the line in the mid-1980s, the line was acquired by Montgomery County, and all of that new track was ripped up. The Georgetown Branch right-of-way was then used to build the Capital Crescent Trail.
Did I read somewhere that they ordered & already have the purple trains?
ReplyDeleteAll well and good but most parts of the Purple Line running along regular streets are still hovering between 0 and 40% complete !
ReplyDeleteFirst train unveiled, and Purple Line might not open until 2028
ReplyDeletehttps://wjla.com/news/local/purple-line-prince-georges-county-maryland-transit-administration-transportation-vehicle-light-rail-travel-bethesda-new-carolltion-metro-amtrak-operations-maintenance-person-delays-progress
https://wjla.com/news/local/purple-line-construction-project-open-date-delay-winter-2028-2027-mdot-maryland-transportation-administration-businesses-prince-georges-montgomery-county-transit-partners-report
One of the biggest boondoggles in MD tax payer funded history. Rick Scott was right to scuttle the train line planned in FL when he was governor. Larry Hogan should have supported the Red Line in Baltimore but he favored this one instead. That was a mistake. They cannot ever recover the cost. The ridership will never meet projections and even if it did, it would take decades to recoup.
ReplyDeleteIts supposed to take decades to recoup.
DeleteHi JAC, I don't always agree with you, but I do in this case. Well said!
ReplyDelete6:37 - 👍
ReplyDeleteI agree with JAC that the Purple Line is a Boondoggle. But I understand why they couldn’t go ahead with the Red Line in West Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteHogan cancelled the Red Line because most of it ran thru a Low Income, Crime and Drug Infested Area in West Baltimore.
Not too hard to figure out………..
9:53 - Keeping West Baltimore exactly as-is, exactly the same it's been since the riots in the 60's isn't good in my view. That would have been a much better use of our money to give them a new and reliable transit system. They are still reeling from that.
ReplyDeleteReally great overview of the history of this land, Mr Dyer.
ReplyDeleteExcited to see transit proponents push to extend the Purple Line to Westbard the next logical stop on the way to Virginia. This will necessitate the demolition of the Ouirsman Honda garage, that monstrosity built on stolen parkland
ReplyDeleteHahaha. Let’s first see how well the Purple line does after running for several years before contemplating extending to Westbard. Virginia is impossible given the Potomac river crossing. How is the garage on stolen land? It uses too much of the right of way but an agreement was reached with Ourisman.
DeleteAlso when considering extending to Westbard, note the width of the dual tracks and walking path in the picture. Also the lack of greenery. There would be a huge outcry if that were proposed to extend to Westbard.
It’s the same issue as putting toll lanes on 495 on MD. Take a look at how wide 495 in Virginia is and see how much land would have to be taken for all the lanes. There is no room.
@ JAC - 👎👎
ReplyDeleteI'll just be happy if the new cars aren't obsolete and are of the right gage and fit with the platforms. Remember the concrete problems at the SS xfer station? So many weak links in our planning and construction history: this Purple line will bring little but regret, in the long run, too.
ReplyDeleteFunny. All those photos look like they are above ground. Why is that???
ReplyDelete@7:54 - Re the toll lanes on 495 (and 270) you can view the impact via the proposed alignment plans online. You can see just what land will be impacted.
ReplyDelete