Washington to Baltimore: maglev or hyperloop?

CarterB wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:34 pm Bring back the WB&A !!!

Heh... I wouldn't mind the yard coming back to Odenton and a line going back down to Annapolis. Problem is, getting it on the NEC now and there's a rail-to-trail built on it east of Odenton.

CarterB wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:34 pm Bring back the WB&A !!!

It's pretty much the same alignment.
Since musk and maglev want the same ROW, only one solution.
Pay Per view match between musk, and someone from the Maglev.

So, it'll be Wish.com ironman vrs a ninja.

Seriously, if there was a demand, it may be possible for a line to Annapolis. I don't think there is even a bus to Odenton, now, So I doubt there is demand.

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:33 am Seriously, if there was a demand, it may be possible for a line to Annapolis. I don't think there is even a bus to Odenton, now, So I doubt there is demand.

Nah, not from Odenton. Baltimore, though? Yes. The 210 and 215 commuter buses are running. There's been some demand in the past and they're running a few buses now.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:49 pm

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:33 am Seriously, if there was a demand, it may be possible for a line to Annapolis. I don't think there is even a bus to Odenton, now, So I doubt there is demand.

Nah, not from Odenton. Baltimore, though? Yes. The 210 and 215 commuter buses are running. There's been some demand in the past and they're running a few buses now.

I thought those were canceled, due to covid? The question is, is there enough demand for a dedicated ROW transit vehicle, that can maintain average speed of 50mph?

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:42 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:49 pm

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:33 am Seriously, if there was a demand, it may be possible for a line to Annapolis. I don't think there is even a bus to Odenton, now, So I doubt there is demand.

Nah, not from Odenton. Baltimore, though? Yes. The 210 and 215 commuter buses are running. There's been some demand in the past and they're running a few buses now.

I thought those were canceled, due to covid? The question is, is there enough demand for a dedicated ROW transit vehicle, that can maintain average speed of 50mph?

Nope. Commuter buses are not express buses. They’re run by MARC — the actual department in MTA Maryland is named literally “MARC and Commuter Bus”. The bus lines are contracted out. Like MARC, they are on the S schedule.

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:33 am Seriously, if there was a demand, it may be possible for a line to Annapolis. I don't think there is even a bus to Odenton, now, So I doubt there is demand.

Nah, not from Odenton. Baltimore, though? Yes. The 210 and 215 commuter buses are running. There's been some demand in the past and they're running a few buses now.
[/quote]

I thought those were canceled, due to covid? The question is, is there enough demand for a dedicated ROW transit vehicle, that can maintain average speed of 50mph?
[/quote]

Nope. Commuter buses are not express buses. They’re run by MARC — the actual department in MTA Maryland is named literally “MARC and Commuter Bus”. The bus lines are contracted out. Like MARC, they are on the S schedule.
[/quote]

Oh, I thought that they were cancelled when the APG bus was.
Looking at the service map
https://s3.amazonaws.com/mta-website-st ... 2_2020.pdf
I do wonder, what commuter bus routes would be better served as private ROW transit solutions?
Is there enough between Annapolis and Baltimore? (along the b&a)?
Route that seem to have the demand,
Southern Maryland cities to DC.
(I know light rail is what's getting pushed, I wonder if it may reach capacity that full on Metro rail may be a better long term solution)
Nap town to DC (Orange line along 50, for most of it)
Columbia to Silver Spring (sorry , the watered down BRT Flash In the Pan doesn't count)
Monocacy to Rockville (which is is where a privates monorail is being studied)
Sorry , but. the Maglev (and hyper loop) need to have much better transit connections (and those systems being well maintained) to be viable. and it ain't.

Forget the 2 proposals. Take the state funds and straighten and put in as much as 3 / 4 main track Baltimore = WASH that those funds can do. Then restore the rail line to Annapolis and have it wye onto the NEC. That would provide maybe a couple MARC trains to ANN. Line could be used for special Naval academy functions both in and out. This would really improve the NEC . It gives national access to Annapolis that hyper loop / Maglev can never do.

Lack of national access is a non starter as fa as I can see.

kitchin wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:45 pm Between the two, I'm betting on the Superconducting Maglev Project, with a nominal completion date of 2023 or so, half funded by Central Japan Railway. Elon Musk has mapped out a Boring Company route, but I wonder how likely that is.

• https://www.bwmaglev.info/
• https://www.boringcompany.com/projects

The answer, obviously, is neither.

Also, Musk had better ditch the Boring company in favor of an Exciting one.

amtrakowitz wrote: ↑Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:18 pm The answer, obviously, is neither.

Also, Musk had better ditch the Boring company in favor of an Exciting one.

The exciting one is named "SpaceX". He owns both.

Trying to get through all the discussions, so these two want to build their versions in a demonstration much like the one Samuel F.B.Morse did with his telegraph.

From what I gather of the potential speeds involved there can be only two stations, start and finish since you can not expect people to be accelerated and deccelerated that many times like a rocket sled. So the most beneficial might be BWI to DC. You will accelerate for the first third or quarter then coast and brake to a stop [maybe]. You would have to be strapped into your seat like a fighter pilot, seat in upright position and bag underneath. Not enough distance to do much else.

If you think your body is not going to be effected, recall how your body felt when taking off in a jetliner and landing, and that was only up to what 180mph in the early parts of flight and slowing from 120 landing.

The NIMBYS in Anne Arundel county many times have nixed the proposed extension of the Metro from New Carrollton out to Annapolis. They "fear" riders coming out from DC to "disrupt" their pristine neighborhoods.

CarterB wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 12:55 pm The NIMBYS in Anne Arundel county many times have nixed the proposed extension of the Metro from New Carrollton out to Annapolis. They "fear" riders coming out from DC to "disrupt" their pristine neighborhoods.

New Carrolton... That'll be US 50. It'll have to tunnel under The 495 loop and onto 50. Some tunneling in sections... Stops in Bowie, Davidsonville's Park & Ride, and stop at the park-and-ride off Harry S. Truman Parkway. Annapolis Transit's Yellow bus reaches there. Everywhere else is ether too densely populated to put a line in, or won't serve a proper purpose.

But then... I'm not sure subway service is appropriate. I bet there's more than enough studies and load data from MTA Maryland's numerous Annapolis to DC rush commuter bus service to justify a diesel commuter line running regular service to Harry S. Truman, connecting to Union Station.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:23 pm

CarterB wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 12:55 pm The NIMBYS in Anne Arundel county many times have nixed the proposed extension of the Metro from New Carrollton out to Annapolis. They "fear" riders coming out from DC to "disrupt" their pristine neighborhoods.

New Carrolton... That'll be US 50. It'll have to tunnel under The 495 loop and onto 50. Some tunneling in sections... Stops in Bowie, Davidsonville's Park & Ride, and stop at the park-and-ride off Harry S. Truman Parkway. Annapolis Transit's Yellow bus reaches there. Everywhere else is ether too densely populated to put a line in, or won't serve a proper purpose.

But then... I'm not sure subway service is appropriate. I bet there's more than enough studies and load data from MTA Maryland's numerous Annapolis to DC rush commuter bus service to justify a diesel commuter line running regular service to Harry S. Truman, connecting to Union Station.

If The Purple line cars top speed was faster, I'd almost suggest extending that towards Annapolis. Possibly build out the SMART line and rt 50 line with same specs, for scalable cost. One needs to maintain an average speed above 50 mph, so that it could take over for commuter bus service.
I seem to recall talk of a BRT route on rt 3 to crouton, which could connect to it.
and seriously, "fear of those folks" won out over "faster commute to DC area"?

Why not extend to Annapolis and buy special cars with higher speeds. I rode BART on its outlying sections at 80 MPH. Probably the best way would be to buy some dual voltage cars such as M-8s using overhead wire and high voltage AC as there are problems keeping third rail going at maybe 100 MPH. + in the long run less costly overhead instead of 3rd rail.

You need too many 3rd rail substations. Almost gets to an operator to go MARC with EMUs.

west point wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 12:49 pm Why not extend to Annapolis and buy special cars with higher speeds. I rode BART on its outlying sections at 80 MPH. Probably the best way would be to buy some dual voltage cars such as M-8s using overhead wire and high voltage AC as there are problems keeping third rail going at maybe 100 MPH. + in the long run less costly overhead instead of 3rd rail.

You need too many 3rd rail substations. Almost gets to an operator to go MARC with EMUs.

Might as well save the money and go diesel then... but then it wouldn't be a subway, now would it? But a commuter rail is a bit difficult to fit on US50...

Elevated diesel light rail, anyone? Maryland getting a NJ Transit River Line?

The flip side for all of this is... you can't get into Annapolis proper w/o tunneling. You're stuck at Harry S Truman. However... how many people actually reverse commute from DC to Annapolis in the morning? It's worth a study but I doubt you get as many people going DC to Annapolis as you get folks doing Baltimore to Annapolis.