Huntsville, AL
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Chattanooga, TN (75.4 mi).
About Huntsville
Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 215,006 at the 2020 census, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S., while the Huntsville metropolitan area has an estimated 542,000 residents and is the second-most populous metropolitan area in the state.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Mid-size city terminal (parametric range $1–2B) | $1.5B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1.0× on $200M base | $200M |
| Track: Huntsville → Chattanooga | 75.4 mi × $500M/mi | $37.7B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $39.4B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
A greenfield site at the I-565 / Research Boulevard interchange (Cummings Research Park edge). Cummings Research Park is the nation's second-largest research park and the region's employment core — a terminal at its edge serves the engineers and contractors who are the likeliest early maglev riders. The I-565 corridor offers a ready-made guideway alignment with greenfield parcels at the interchange.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- The Cummings Research Park west end — employment infill.
- Scottsboro, AL — Jackson County seat on the Tennessee River.
- South Pittsburg, TN — small Sequatchie Valley town.