Northeast Maglev's Lobbying Raises Questions for Maryland

The Northeast Maglev, LLC, which is the company seeking to build a high-speed magnetic levitation train between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, was revealed to be the largest donor to lobbyists in Maryland over the last legislative session, spending $410,000 on lobbying efforts in Annapolis. This far outpaces any other lobbying efforts: coming in number two is CSX Transportation, which spent $250,000. This heavy lobbying spending has raised questions about Northeast Maglev's influence in the state legislature as they seek approval to begin construction.

Northeast Maglev is proposing to construct an ultra high-speed train line that could transport passengers between D.C. and New York in 60 minutes. The technology was developed in Japan, and similar trains began operating in 2014 to connect Tokyo with Nagoya and Osaka. The project is estimated to cost over $15 billion, and requires major investment on the state and federal level. The company argues it will create jobs, reduce traffic congestion, and provide an alternative to driving or flying between the two cities.

However, the project still requires approval from federal, state and local officials. Northeast Maglev has numerous registered lobbyists working with state lawmakers to gain support for the project. Groups opposed argue the train line would disrupt communities and wildlife habitats. There are also concerns over the noise impact from the high speeds the train travels. The city of Baltimore decided not to support this project, citing environmental, equity and community concerns. Maglev trains are so advanced that they can not be combined with existing tracks and infrastructure; and the lobbying efforts have been active since 2010.

While large infrastructure projects often require lobbying to gain approval, the scale of Northeast Maglev's spending is seen by many as excessive. As the company seeks key legislative victories in 2023 to allow construction to move forward, Marylanders should be watching our lawmakers to make sure that they push for regulations and oversight to ensure this project is in the public's best interest.