Wayne Rogers — Northeast Maglev

Northeast Maglev has a vision for bringing fast--really, really fast--rail service to the Northeast Corridor (Boston to Washington D.C.). This week Paul talks with Wayne Rogers, Chairman and CEO of the Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, LLC, and Northeast Maglev, LLC, about his vision for what maglev trains could do for the region. Faster than steel wheel-based trains, maglev trains use superconducting magnets to propel trains along at up to 311 miles an hour. Already running in Japan, where the service is wildly successful, bringing this level of train service would mean being able to get from New York City to Washington D.C. in an hour. Many of the trips people take today by car or plane could be eliminated if the Northeast Corridor gets maglev up and running. Maglev would reduce congestion, pollution, and pressure on the highway system as the region grows. The U.S. has been looking at maglev rail for decades and Northeast Maglev started working on this project ten years ago. The environmental reviews are almost complete and they are looking to get the project up and running soon. In the episode, you'll hear about the project, the technology, and what we've learned from the successful maglev train in Japan. Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views, we'll have Jen Shepard, GM of Uber Transit on the show talking about microtransit and paratransit options. If you have a comment, question, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected].