Norman, OK (location approximate)
Stop on the proposed 17,000-mile maglev network. Next stop: Oklahoma City, OK (17.3 mi).
About Norman
Norman is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,026 as of the 2020 census. It is the most populous city in and the county seat of Cleveland County and the second-most populous city in the Oklahoma City Metro Area after the state capital, Oklahoma City, 20 miles north of Norman.
Source: Wikipedia summary (full article). Population and facts as published there.
Cost breakdown (proposal-scale estimates — see math)
| Item | Basis | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal construction | Small-city terminal (parametric range $0.5–1B) | $0.75B |
| Land acquisition | Regional factor 1.0× on $200M base | $200M |
| Track: Norman → Oklahoma City | 17.3 mi × $500M/mi | $8.7B |
| Annual operations (share) | Staffing, power, maintenance | $15M/yr |
| Stop total (excl. annual ops) | $9.6B |
Best terminal location (proposed)
The downtown Norman Santa Fe Depot district. Norman's Santa Fe Depot still serves Amtrak's Heartland Flyer beside the University of Oklahoma campus, in a historic downtown built around the railroad. The surrounding depot district offers infill parcels, and the site captures OU's students, faculty, and game-day crowds.
Before / after
Aerial mock-up (illustrative, not an engineering rendering). Left: the proposed site today. Right: with the maglev terminal.
- Moore, OK — large suburb on the I-35 corridor to OKC.
- The Crossroads district — south OKC retail hub.
- Noble, OK — small town ('Rose Rock Capital') south of Norman.