US Abandons Maglev Train Plans as China Rapidly Develops Technology

The administration of President Donald Trump withdrew the funding this week for a high -speed magnetic railway line (Maglev) connecting Washington DC and Baltimore.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said The Baltimore sun Friday that he could “conscientiously only conscience taxpayers” for the line of 26.6 miles and canceled more than $ 26 million in funding.

Nowsweek Called the Ministry of Transport Saturday outside of regular office hours to comment.

Why it matters

The United States currently has no high-speed operational rail line as defined by the International Railway Union (IUC), but two are currently under construction in California and other projects have been proposed across the country.

However, supporters of high -speed rails are nervous about the attitude of the Trump administration after having revoked $ 4 billion in federal funding for a construction line intended to link San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as a subsidy of $ 63.9 million for a project in Texas.

What to know

The Maglev line was provided to connect Baltimore to Washington DC with a journey of less than 15 minutes using magnetic levitation, a technique which sees trains maintained above the track by electromagnetants by removing the friction associated with traditional wheels.

Friday, Secretary Duffy said The sun This federal funding for the project had been rebuilt, commenting: “This project lacked everything that was to be a success from planning to execution. This project could not afford to go away, and I cannot in good awareness of keeping taxpayers with hook.”

Two federal subsidies totaling more than $ 26 million for the project were canceled, while support was also drawn for an environmental study necessary to acquire a construction permit.

Maglev technology has been developed in Japan since 2002 and tests have also taken place in China where a line has reached speeds of more than 620 miles per hour, faster than many commercial aircraft.

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, was an enthusiastic support for the project, and in April, a team working on technology in Japan said: “You have in me, and you have in our team, very excited partners to be able to continue to move forward … We like to move quickly, and 315 miles per hour feels good.”

Federal figures show that nearly $ 27 million had been spent on the Maglev project in Maryland.

What people say

Talk to Nowsweek Professor R. Richard Geddes, specialist in transport infrastructure at Cornell University, said: “Transport secretary Sean Duffy announced that the federal government would cancel $ 26 million in the Maglev Baltimore project in DC. This is a new property.

“The Baltimore passenger railway road to Washington is already well served by the Amtrak and Marc trains. There are also several important highways serving the same road. It is unlikely that, even if it is completed, that the revenues of the traffic are sufficient to even cover the operational costs of this line, and even less its cost in capital.

“There are railway projects for greater value passengers on which this money could be spent to improve the Amtrak service in the northeast corridor.

What happens next

Work on Maglev technology will continue in Japan and China and other American projects may be offered on a later date.