The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) has formally cancelled over 26 million USD in federal grants previously allocated to the Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMAGLEV) project.

Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy confirmed the decision on Friday, citing longstanding concerns related to planning, cost, and environmental impacts.

Originally initiated in 2016, the SCMAGLEV project aimed to introduce high-speed superconducting magnetic levitation rail service between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The estimated capital cost for the infrastructure was projected to reach approximately 20 billion USD.

Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMAGLEV)

© Central Japan Railway Company

According to the DOT, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) assessed the project and concluded it would have substantial and unresolved impacts on federal property and agencies, including those involved in national security. As a result, the agency determined it would no longer support the project financially.

Secretary Duffy said:

We want big, beautiful projects worthy of taxpayer dollars – including high-speed rail. This project lacked everything needed to be a success from planning to execution. This project did not have the means to go the distance, and I can’t in good conscience keep taxpayers on the hook for it. We’ll continue to look for exciting opportunities to fund the future of transportation and encourage innovation.

Since its inception, the project has faced repeated delays and cost increases. The FRA’s environmental review process was placed on hold twice, with the most recent pause beginning in August 2021. It had not resumed until the decision to cancel funding was announced.

Federal agencies that expressed concern over the project’s potential indirect effects included the National Security Agency, Department of Defense and Fort George G. Meade, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Agriculture, Secret Service, Department of the Interior (Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service), and the Department of Labor.

The FRA noted that the cancellation of the Notice of Intent (NOI) does not prohibit future efforts to develop magnetic levitation technology in the United States. However, this particular project will no longer receive federal funding or support.

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