Maryland Purple Line track work has been completed at 16th Street – Woodside Station. The final rail section has now been installed. Also, the work completes 193,100 feet of track connecting Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Maryland Purple Line track complete before testing
Photo: Maryland Transit Administration. Maryland Purple Line track complete before testing

Maryland Purple Line moves toward testing

Maryland Governor Wes Moore laid the final piece of rail. Also, the installation marks a major project milestone for the 16.2-mile corridor. The corridor will run from New Carrollton to Bethesda. It enables the next stage of vehicle and systems integration testing.

With the track work complete, attention now turns to remaining construction activities. These activities are planned for completion by the end of 2026. For example, the work includes station structural elements and Art in Transit installations. Also, it includes landscaping and train and traffic signal controls.

Construction timeline and business grants

Meanwhile, passenger service on the Purple Line is expected to begin in late 2027. In addition, the Maryland Transit Administration is supporting the project. Its investment is 3 million USD. It covers exterior improvements at businesses. Those businesses are within half a mile of Montgomery County Purple Line stations.

Separately, grants under the Purple Line Small Business Grant programme total 2.6 million USD. The Maryland Department of Transportation has awarded them to nearly 250 local businesses.

Gov. Moore said:

In Maryland, our people have one very simple question for all of their elected officials: are you going to do what you say you’re going to do? People in Montgomery County have been asking that question about the Purple Line for over a decade, and today, we are delivering.

By completing over 16 miles of track from New Carrollton to Bethesda and putting more than 2,000 people to work, we are keeping our promise, strengthening Maryland’s economic competitiveness, and creating communities that thrive.

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