Is the ‘Impossible Railroad’ project simply too impossible?

Written by RT&S Staff
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Maryland officials have rejected a proposal to build a new rail tunnel underneath the city of Baltimore.

The “Impossible Railroad” just took another step toward impractical.

The project to restore a 70-mile line of railroad connecting Mexico and California has been in the works for decades but has faced constant hurdles, including fires, heavy rains, landslides and legal battles. The latest one deals with a contract with Baja California Rail Road. Baja was leasing the Desert Line from the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), but had not made payments for months. The MTS has decided to terminate the lease.

MTS tried to make the lease work, engaging with Baja California Rail Road via a mediation process to no avail. Baja was making $500,000 payments every six months and wanted to extend payment deadlines and negotiate new terms.

Officials are still determined to get the line going again so product can be transported from Tijuana, Mexico, and into the U.S. The track would link into Union Pacific’s rail system and also help connect Tijuana’s automobile industry to the eastern U.S.

The MTS has been working with Caltrain and SANDAG to see if the next move is to step back and study the project further.

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