Light rail from Charles County, MD to Branch Ave?

This has already posted this in the DelMarVa forum but for those who don't regularly venture into that portion of the board, this may be of interest.

From the Friday, Nov. 27th issue of the Maryland Independent, Charles County, Maryland's twice weekly newspaper, here's a report on the proposed light rail line. This proposal would have the light rail line paralleling the CSX Pope's Creek sub (Originally Baltimore & Potomac, completed in 1873, later Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington, PRR, PC & Conrail.) from White Plains, MD north through Prince George's County to an eventual connection with WAMTA's Green Line Branch Avenue station.

This proposal, along with others, has been in the discussion and study process seemingly since I relocated to this area in 1979.

http://www.somdnews.com/stories/1127200 ... 2190.shtml

Note: I believe the writer of this article meant that the light rail line was to parallel the Pope's Creek subdivision, not Pope's Creek, a tributary of the Potomac, as is stated in the article. Also, the meeting discussed in the article was held on Sep. 22nd of this year. I don't know why this is just now making it into print but as you may have surmised, things do move rather slowly here in southern Maryland, unless it's the traffic on Routes 5 & 301.

Map of the Pope's Creek sub:

http://www.traingod.railfan.net/map.html

Here is the article from the Washington Post:
Study to Weigh Feasibility Of White Plains Rail Line
By Philip Rucker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 27, 2007

This matter has appeared in the media several times in the last decade. As I recall at least two media stories have been linked to in these forums.

WMATA's revised 1974 Area Regional System (ARS) map showed a line labeled future from the Branch Avenue station to Brandywine.

The first I heard of the light rail plan was in WMATA's 04 1999 Transit Service Expansion Plan.
Route 5/301, Branch Avenue Charles County, (LRT), 17.0 miles, $350 - 450 million (1999 dollars).
04 1999 WMATA Transit Service Expansion Plan Map

From Fiscal Year 2001 US DOT TEA-21 Maryland Route 5 Corridor (Waldorf Corridor Study) Maryland Route 5 Corridor (Waldorf Corridor Study)

Maryland Department of Transportation Southern Maryland Transportation Needs Assessment
The PDF reports at the above are roughly a year and a half old.

A few years ago, this was part of a presentation we did to MDOT as part of an internship, but our idea involved using and upgrading the existing rail line and timing it with CSX since they only have a few customers on the line. As a resident, I can attest the train rarely comes during rush hour. (I remember one winter I would come home from Baltimore and no matter what time I came home (midnight, 1am, 2am, 3am) I always seemed to miss the train by 10 minutes.)

I think it's great they are looking at options to cut traffic on 301 and 5, but the idea of a light rail making tons of stops, then having to transfer to a metro that makes a ton more stops, I'd almost rather take my chances on the road.

It may be better utilized if the proposed line is to full Metro standards. This would reduce the number of stops you find with light rail and would only place stations in key locations to encourage use. Yes, it would cost more because it is a heavy rail subway. However, the benefits would probably outweigh what could be accomplished with light rail.

What is with all of these expansions being light rail? The last project to be started that was heavy rail is the Silver Line, now the rest are light rail. As we have learned from Baltimore having two different rail systems doesn't work out amazingly and while light rail is cheaper than heavy rail its really awful. Slow, too many stops, not integrated, etc.

I can somewhat understand the Purple Line being light rail but this needs to be subway.

I am very familiar with the Popes Creek Line (I hear them blowing for 214 from my house) and I know the RoW has plenty of room for subway tracks. It doesn't go through hardly any tight areas and most overpasses cross over it with loads of room to spare.

The subways from NCR to DC take a while to get in to town due to stops, with a light rail you might as well pull the plug.

Davis

Does anyone know the exact stations for this proposed light rail route?

"Joke Insurance"
Does anyone know the exact stations for this proposed light rail route?

I have never seen a map showing the locations of station along the "proposed" route. Likely, if built, they will be located at of near the major intersection along Branch Avenue MD-5 and Crain Highway MD US-301.

Allentown Road, Coventry Way, Woodyard Road, Surratts Road, Brandywine Road, McKendree Road, Matwoman Drive and if it ends up going that far Acton Lane, Lenardtown Road and Smallwood Drive.