Purple Line (Maryland)

Purple Line

Company type	Public transit project
Industry	Public transportation
Headquarters	Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. , United States
Area served	Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. (Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, New Carrollton)
Owner	Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
Parent	Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)

The Purple Line is a light rail system currently being developed to serve the Maryland suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C., including Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. Scheduled for completion in late 2027, this line will provide connections to the Maryland segments of the Red, Green, Silver, and Orange lines within the Washington Metro network, as well as all three lines of the MARC commuter rail system. Oversight of the project falls under the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), rather than the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

The initiative encountered significant resistance, particularly from residents in affluent areas such as Chevy Chase and members belonging to the Columbia Country Club. Between 2003 and 2006, Governor Robert Ehrlich altered the plan from light rail to a bus rapid transit system. Despite ongoing legal disputes following the start of construction, a 2017 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit permitted the project to advance.

In 2016, a consortium led by Fluor Enterprises was awarded a $5.6 billion contract covering design, construction, operation, and maintenance responsibilities for 36 years. Groundbreaking commenced in August 2017; however, work was suspended in September 2020 after the consortium withdrew amid conflicts and delays. By that time, expenditures had reached $1.1 billion out of an anticipated $2 billion for construction.

A new primary contractor was appointed in November 2021, with an updated contract executed in April 2022 that added $3.7 billion to overall expenses for building, operating, and maintaining the line through 2052—raising total project costs to $9.3 billion. Construction-specific expenses alone increased by $1.46 billion to $3.4 billion. Full-scale construction activities recommenced in summer 2022.

Delays and cost overruns persisted into 2023 and 2024. As of March 2024, projected total costs have escalated to approximately $9.53 billion—surpassing the initial 2016 budget by nearly $4 billion—with service anticipated to launch in December 2027.

Initial studies, public discourse, and design development

The designation "Purple Line" has been associated with two separate transit concepts. In 1994, architect John J. Corley Jr. from Harry Weese Associates—known for designing the Washington Metro—proposed an extensive Metro loop encircling the Capital Beltway, intended to connect suburban areas and complement existing radial lines. Later in 1998, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan alongside Governor Parris Glendening supported a $10 billion Beltway Purple Line stretching from National Harbor to Montgomery Mall.

Following CSX Transportation's 1987 plan to discontinue use of the Georgetown Branch rail corridor, Maryland officials began exploring options to convert this right-of-way for transit service and recreational trails—a concept rooted in Bethesda-Chevy Chase Master Plan proposals dating back to the 1970s. Montgomery County acquired its portion of this corridor in 1988 and allocated $107 million in 1989 toward establishing a trolley line between Bethesda and Silver Spring alongside trail development extending into Washington, D.C.

This initiative became known as the "Inner Purple Line" to differentiate it from the larger "Beltway Purple Line" proposal. By 2001, plans for the expensive Beltway route were abandoned in favor of focusing on the Bethesda-centered corridor.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan combined plans for the Purple Line with those for the Georgetown Branch Light Rail Transit (GBLRT), envisioning a light rail route along the former Georgetown Branch railroad alignment.

In March 2003, under Governor Ehrlich’s administration, the project was rebranded as the "Bi-County Transitway," signaling a shift toward bus rapid transit instead of light rail; nonetheless, public preference kept "Purple Line" as its popular name. By 2007, Governor Martin O'Malley and Secretary John Porcari reinstated the original Purple Line designation.

By January 2008, Governor O'Malley committed $100 million over six years for design efforts and state funding authorization. Projections from May 2008 estimated daily ridership at about 68,000 trips. A draft environmental impact statement was released in October that year. During late 2008 and early 2009, Montgomery County planners expressed clear support for light rail over bus transit options; County Executive Isiah Leggett also endorsed this approach. In October 2009, regional transportation authorities unanimously approved including the Purple Line within their long-term planning frameworks.

Plans called for seamless integration with existing Washington Metro stations and compatibility with WMATA's SmarTrip farecard system; WMATA's 2008 report anticipated full integration by around 2030.

Throughout its development, the project has elicited both strong community backing and opposition alike.

Backing for the Purple Line

• Purple Line Now, a nonprofit organization, champions the establishment of a Purple Line light rail connecting Bethesda to New Carrollton, complemented by a hiker/biker trail stretching from Bethesda to Silver Spring.
• The Action Committee for Transit has voiced its support for the Purple Line project.
• In 2008, the editorial board of The Washington Post publicly endorsed the light rail option for the Purple Line.
• Both the Montgomery County Council and Prince George's County Council gave unanimous approval to the light rail proposal in January 2009.
• Maryland state leaders, including former Governor Martin O'Malley, have been vocal advocates for the Purple Line, highlighting its potential to enhance east–west transit accessibility for lower-income workers.
• Development company Chevy Chase Land Company is a significant supporter; its president Edward Asher holds a position on the Purple Line NOW! board. The firm anticipates benefits from properties located near planned station sites.
• The Sierra Club promotes expanding rail transit as a preferable alternative to automobile use to lower carbon emissions and address climate change challenges.
• Student representatives at the University of Maryland, College Park have expressed support for transit options associated with the Purple Line.
• In January 2009, Montgomery County Council reiterated its endorsement of the light rail, followed by Governor O'Malley’s approval announcement in August 2009.
• The vice president responsible for trail development at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy indicated that with appropriate design, the combined trail and Purple Line could rank "among the best in the nation."
• Enthusiasm for the Maryland Purple Line project was notably strong among members of the Facebook group New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens.

Backing for Bus Transit

• A 2008 analysis conducted by Sam Schwartz Engineering on behalf of the Town of Chevy Chase favored a bus rapid transit (BRT) solution utilizing an alternative alignment along Jones Bridge Road. The report raised issues concerning ridership levels, environmental impact related to carbon emissions, interruptions to recreational pathways, and financial considerations tied to MTA’s bus and light rail proposals involving the Capital Crescent Trail. Although MTA also proposed a Jones Bridge Road route, this study pointed out missing features that are typically standard in bus rapid transit systems.

Rail Opposition

• Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail, a local nonprofit group, began contesting MTA’s Purple Line plans in 2003 and initiated a lawsuit in 2014 alleging violations of federal environmental regulations during grant approvals. In 2008, they contended that both MTA’s light rail and bus rapid transit proposals would negatively impact the trail’s environment and safety. They supported bus rapid transit along Jones Bridge Road as recommended by the Chevy Chase study but sought alternative solutions since this alignment would still affect parts of the trail.

• The Columbia Country Club, which owns a golf course situated along the proposed corridor between Bethesda and Silver Spring, was a key opponent. Known for its considerable political influence, the club invested thousands in lobbying efforts, fundraising events, and grassroots campaigns opposing the project over many years. However, in 2013 new club leadership agreed not to oppose the Purple Line provided that its route was shifted approximately 12 feet and certain other concessions were met.

• Opponents from Chevy Chase referenced their town’s bus rapid transit study estimating costs below $1 billion compared to $1.8 billion projected for light rail; a separate 2011 report placed rail expenses near $1.93 billion.

• In 2010, residents living close to the Dale Wayne station voiced worries that road widening and "smart growth" initiatives around transit stops might encourage commercial development within primarily residential neighborhoods. They also questioned MTA’s forecast of 1,427 daily boardings at that particular station.

Approval

In June 2015, Governor Larry Hogan gave his endorsement to the Purple Line project, despite having opposed it during his 2014 campaign. He canceled the related Baltimore Red Line initiative, citing excessive expenses, and reduced Maryland’s financial commitment to the Purple Line from $700 million down to $168 million, redirecting funds toward highway infrastructure. To compensate for this shortfall, Prince George's and Montgomery counties increased their financial support, and the planned frequency of train service was scaled back.

The Purple Line was contracted under a comprehensive design-build-finance-operate-maintain public–private partnership. On December 7, 2015, four consortia comprising prominent domestic and international companies submitted bids:

• Maryland Purple Line Partners: Vinci Concessions, Walsh Investors, InfraRed Capital, Alstom, and Keolis
• Maryland Transit Connectors: John Laing Investments, Kiewit Development Company, Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, and RATP Dev
• Purple Line Transit Partners: Meridiam, Fluor Corporation, Star America, CAF, and Alternate Concepts
• Purple Plus Alliance: Macquarie Capital Group, Skanska, Kinki Sharyo, and Transdev

On March 2, 2016, Governor Hogan announced that Purple Line Transit Partners had been selected to construct, operate, and maintain the line for $3.3 billion over a 36-year period, with an anticipated service launch in late 2022.

The Maryland Board of Public Works unanimously ratified the $5.6 billion contract on April 6, 2016. This significant agreement ranks among the largest government contracts in Maryland’s history and is one of the most substantial public-private transportation partnerships in the United States. This approval paved the way for securing $900 million in federal construction funding.

In August 2016, federal approval for the project was overturned by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon due to inadequate environmental review concerning Metro’s maintenance challenges and declining ridership trends. Governor Hogan alleged a conflict of interest because of the judge’s proximity to local opposition groups. Without restored federal environmental clearance, funding could not be accessed; Maryland indicated it lacked the financial capacity to proceed without federal assistance.

Although legal challenges persisted, $900 million in federal funding was awarded in August 2017. On December 19, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the project's authorization, enabling construction to move forward and concluding a three-year legal dispute.

By 2019, Purple Line Transit Partners anticipated delays pushing the opening into 2023 or 2024 due to construction difficulties that resulted in an additional $215 million in expenses.

On April 13, 2020, U.S. District Judge James Bredar dismissed the last remaining lawsuit against the Purple Line project, removing final legal barriers to completion.

Builder consortium quits

By 2020, change orders submitted by Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) had surpassed $800 million, with project completion delayed by 32 months. On May 1 of that year, PLTP declared its intention to halt work and terminate its contract. Although a temporary restraining order initially prevented this action, it was lifted in September, permitting PLTP to begin withdrawing from construction sites.

In November, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced that the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) had assumed control over numerous Purple Line contracts covering light-rail vehicle manufacturing as well as operations, maintenance, design, and construction activities. On November 24, MDOT agreed to pay PLTP $250 million to resolve cost overruns—a settlement unanimously approved by Maryland’s Board of Public Works in December. Officials aimed to resume construction efforts by fall 2021.

Construction Restart

On November 5, 2021, Maryland Transit Solutions—a partnership between Dragados USA and OHL USA, subsidiaries of prominent Spanish construction companies—was awarded the contract to finalize the Purple Line project. Valued at $2.3 billion, this agreement increased the total construction expenditure to $3.4 billion, exceeding the 2016 projection by $1.46 billion.

By early 2022, state authorities anticipated the line would open in fall 2026. The Board of Public Works approved the new contract in January, with signing completed in April 2022, leading to full-scale construction activities resuming that summer. By June, utility relocation efforts were 77% finished, and the Glenridge Operations and Maintenance Facility had become operational.

In January 2023, the projected total cost for the 36-year build-and-operate contract reached $9.28 billion; by July, a further increase of $148 million brought it to $9.4 billion. The opening date was postponed to May 2027 due to contractor transitions, inflationary pressures, and workforce shortages.

In March 2024, the MTA sought an additional $425 million to cover ongoing construction expenses and extend the operating agreement through 2057, pushing overall costs to roughly $9.53 billion—approximately $4 billion above the initial 2016 budget of $5.6 billion—and delaying the launch until late 2027.

By December 2024, significant cost overruns emerged from constructing the Bethesda station mezzanine—a highly intricate design requiring extensive blasting—resulting in expenses about twenty times higher than originally estimated.

Route and Station Details

The proposed rail corridor will connect with existing Metro, MARC commuter rail, and Amtrak services at these locations:

• (Metro Red Line)
• (Metro Red Line, MARC Brunswick Line)
• (Metro Green Line, MARC Camden Line)
• (Metro Orange and Silver Lines, MARC Penn Line, Amtrak Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Vermonter)

Stations along the "Locally Preferred Alternative" route endorsed in 2009 include:

Station Name	Location	Connections
	7450 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD	Metrorail: Red Line Metrobus: D96, M22, M70 Ride On: Routes 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 47, 70 Bethesda Circulator Capital Crescent Trail
	Capital Crescent Trail & Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD	Metrobus: M22
	Lyttonsville Place, Silver Spring, MD	Ride On: Route 2
	16th Street, Woodside neighborhood, Silver Spring, MD	Metrobus: M70 Ride On: Routes 1, 2, 11, 18
	8400 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD	Metrorail: Red Line MARC Train: Brunswick Line Metrobus: C87, D40, D4X, D60, D6X, M20, M52, M54, M70, P30 Ride On: Various routes including Flash BRT (Blue and Orange lines) MTA Bus: Routes 915 and 929 Shuttle-UM: Route 111 Peter Pan Bus Lines
	900 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD	Metrobus: P30 Ride On: Routes 15 through 20 and 28 Shuttle-UM: Route 111
	Intersection of Dale Drive & Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring	Ride On: Routes 12,15 ,19
	Wayne Avenue & Plymouth Street intersection in Silver Spring	Ride On: Routes 12 ,13 ,19
	8736 Arliss Street in Silver Spring	Ride On: Routes14–16 ,20 ,24
	Piney Branch Road & University Boulevard junction in Silver Spring	Metrobus: M12 Ride On: Routes14–16 ,20 ,24
Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center	7900 New Hampshire Avenue in Langley Park	Metrobus: M12 , M60 , M6X , P31 Ride On: Routes15–18 ,25 TheBus: P43 Shuttle-UM: Route111
	Riggs Road & University Boulevard border of Langley Park and Hyattsville	Metrobus: M12 , P15–16 , P31 TheBus: P43
	Intersection of Adelphi Road & Campus Drive in Adelphi/Hyattsville area	Metrobus: P31–32 TheBus: P37 , P43 Shuttle-UM
	Campus Drive & Library Lane near College Park campus	Metrobus: P31–32 TheBus: P37 Shuttle-UM
	Baltimore Avenue & Rossborough Lane in College Park area	Metrobus: M44 , P10 , P1X Shuttle-UM
	Calvert Road & Bowdoin Avenue intersection in College Park	Metrorail: Green Line MARC Train: Camden Line Metrobus: M42 , P10 , P14 , P31 RTA Central Maryland Bus Route302/G TheBus: P37 Shuttle-UM routes104 ,109 MTA Commuter Bus Route204
	River Road & Haig Drive junction in Riverdale Park area	Metrobus:P14,P31
	East West Highway & Kenilworth Avenue crossing in Riverdale Park	Metrobus:P14,P30,P35,P42

Potential growth opportunities

There have been various proposals to lengthen the existing 16-mile (28.8-km) Purple Line deeper into Maryland or to develop a circular route around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region that would run parallel to the Capital Beltway. In 2015, the Sierra Club recommended a Purple Line extension that would encircle Washington, D.C. and link the current suburban metro lines. Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown showed interest in prolonging the route from Bethesda across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, effectively creating a loop through Virginia.

Back in 2009, the Inner Purple Line Campaign suggested expanding the line westward toward Tysons Corner and eastward to Largo, potentially crossing the Wilson Bridge from Suitland through Oxon Hill to Alexandria, thereby establishing a rail loop around the metropolitan area. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge has been constructed with provisions to support either heavy or light rail transit.

Proposed stations for this expansion include:

• Oxon Hill (close to Rosecroft Raceway, a location considered for a Metro stop since 1980)
• National Harbor
• Alexandria (possibly at station)
• Springfield
• Annandale
• Tysons Corner

Rolling stock

The Purple Line’s light rail vehicles are produced by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) at their Elmira, New York manufacturing plant. Each train measures 140 feet in length and is composed of five connected modules, capable of accommodating up to 431 passengers including seated and standing riders. Testing of these vehicles commenced in 2020, with all 130 modular car shells finalized in Spain by June 2021. By February 2023, assembly was nearly complete with 26 out of 28 trains built. Upon their scheduled debut in summer 2024, these units will be recognized as the longest light rail cars operating in the United States.

In April 2025, the Maryland Transit Administration began dynamic testing on a one-mile segment adjacent to the Operations and Maintenance Facility located in Glenridge, Maryland. Eight vehicles were available onsite for this testing phase. By July 2025, ten out of the total 28 vehicles had been delivered and were undergoing evaluation, with further deliveries planned over subsequent months.