This high-speed levitating train will cut travel times between major US cities to just 15 minutes — and tickets will cost less than you'd think
A high-speed Maglev train that will connect Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is currently in development. When complete, the train line will traverse 33 miles in an astounding 15 minutes for an equally astounding $33 price tag.
Anyone who has traveled between these cities by car (or between any major Northeast cities for that matter) knows the trip can be a traffic-riddled slog. This train line will be nothing short of a miracle for commuters and tourists alike. Not only that, but it should greatly reduce pollution, as Maglev trains do not create any direct polluting output.
Maglev, or magnetic levitation, trains are a form of high-speed transport that uses magnets for propulsion. They can travel at speeds nearing 300 miles per hour without creating dirty pollution while remaining incredibly quiet. On top of that, these trains are also incredibly safe and require less maintenance than their traditional counterparts.
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Knowing all this, it's easy to wonder why there aren't Maglevs everywhere today. One reason for that is their high cost of initial investment. The Baltimore to Washington line is estimated to cost 20 billion dollars — and that's for two cities that are unusually close to one another. However, the benefits these trains offer more than justify the high initial cost given their developed in strategic areas.
The new Maglev line will contain two simultaneous lines that run largely through underground tunnels, meaning it won't require an above-ground infrastructure to be developed. Power for the system will be generated by newly constructed solar or wind farms in Western Maryland, ensuring that the direct pollution-free train does not run on indirect pollution.
Elsewhere, magnetic train developers are seeking to nearly double the top speed of the average Maglev. Projects in China and Switzerland are implementing near-vacuum tube technology to supercharge their Maglev trains to over 600 miles per hour. That's airplane speed, only without the turbulence and gruesome gas-guzzling.
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The Baltimore to Washington Maglev is currently awaiting environmental and engineering studies to be completed in order to begin construction. Once construction begins, it's estimated that the project will take eight years to complete. Once it is, it's believed that somewhere around 12 million riders will be shirking traffic to cruise comfortably (and sustainably) between cities in the first year alone.
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This high-speed levitating train will cut travel times between major US cities to just 15 minutes — and tickets will cost less than you'd think first appeared on The Cool Down.
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