After more than a year of uncertainty and delay, Maryland has selected a firm to build and operate the Purple Line. With Purple Line Transit Partners in place to run the 16-mile line, the project is ready to move forward.

A rendering of the Purple Line. Image from Montgomery County.

After Marylanders elected Governor Larry Hogan in November 2014, it wasn’t clear whether the long-planned light-rail line would even happen. But following a prolonged public show of support, Hogan announced that the Purple Line would get built if Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties committed more funds and trains ran less frequently.

Four teams submitted bids in December, and Maryland selected Purple Line Transit Partners. Some have questioned the bidder’s plan to purchase railcars from a company that made some of Metro’s least reliable cars and has been plagued with delays in other cities.

Update: After a series of state and federal approvals, construction should start late this year for a planned opening date in spring 2022.