Montgomery, AL
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Birmingham, AL (85.0 mi).
About Montgomery
Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. It was named for Continental Army Major-General Richard Montgomery and stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain.
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: Montgomery → Birmingham | 85.0 mi × $500M/mi | $42.5B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $30M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $44.2B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The downtown riverfront near historic Union Station. Montgomery's grand Union Station and its train shed still anchor the riverfront, with the I-65/I-85 interchange minutes away. The surrounding warehouse district holds redevelopment parcels, and a terminal here serves state government, Maxwell AFB, and the Hyundai manufacturing corridor.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- Prattville, AL — Autauga County suburb on the I-65 corridor.
- Clanton, AL — Chilton County seat in peach country.
- Calera, AL — fast-growing Shelby County suburb.