The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration has begun dynamic testing of all eight Purple Line light rail vehicles, the agency announced.
The Purple Line is a 16-mile, 21-station light rail system under construction, connecting Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County.
It will link directly to Metrorail’s Red, Green and Orange lines at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton.
The current phase of testing is taking place on a one-mile test track next to the project’s Operations and Maintenance Facility along Veterans Parkway in Glenridge, Maryland, according to a press release.
As of today, the project is now 76% complete.
Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld called the milestone a sign of continued progress and praised the team’s efforts.
“This is a monumental moment for the Purple Line as the project begins systems testing and brings us closer to service,” he said in a press release. “Seeing the light rail vehicles on the tracks is a welcome sight that shows our continued progress.”
Dynamic testing simulates real-world conditions, with teams evaluating breaking, propulsion, signaling, communications and electrical systems.
Trains will run during both day and night, but remain confined to the test track for now.
Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold said in a press release, the project is transitioning from heavy construction to the testing phase.
“We are closer to our goal of connecting Maryland communities of Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and the region,” she said.
Further testing will expand to longer stretches of mainline track and continue into 2026, as new rail vehicles arrive.
Passenger service is expected to begin in late 2027.
MTA Senior Project Director Ray Biggs II said in a press release that the milestone reflects strong collaboration among transit partners and elected officials.
“Today is truly a transformative milestone in bringing the Purple Line to the region,” he said.
Purple Line Transit Partners CEO Doran Bosso added in a press release, that seeing trains on the tracks brings the vision closer to reality.
“Future passengers witnessing trains in motion will help them envision how the Purple Line will transform our region,” he said.
The Purple Line will also connect to MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services.
