Future
Travel on the Light Rail was significantly disrupted in 2004 and 2005 when large portions of the system were shut down to accommodate double-tracking work. In the immediate future, the MTA's goals are to recapture ridership lost during this period and to attract new riders with the improved service that is now possible on the double-tracked system.
There are no immediate plans to add track length to the current Light Rail system. An independent commission on Baltimore-area transit made a number of suggestions in a 2002 report for new lines and expansions of existing lines. One proposal was to create a branch of the Light Rail system that would head southeast from the main line at Timonium, run through Towson and Baltimore, and reconnect to the existing line at Camden Yards. However, this proposal is not being actively pursued at present.
There is the possibility of adding an infill station at Texas, between the existing Timonium and Warren Road stations. A set of platforms was built at this point on the line in conjunction with the 2005 double-tracking work to provide a turn-back point for trains not going all the way to Hunt Valley; it would be relatively simple to convert this into a revenue station, and reports indicate that the MTA is considering doing so.
The Red Line, a planned light rail line traveling east-west that would intersect with the existing Light Rail downtown, is scheduled to begin service in 2020/2021; this would be a separate service, with no track connection to the existing Light Rail.
Read more about this topic: Baltimore Light Rail
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