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7/20/2026
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) last week began live-wire testing of new Purple Line light-rail vehicles between the Lyttonsville Operations and Maintenance Facility and the Purple Line Bethesda Station in Montgomery County.
Construction of the MTA Purple Line is 90% complete, with the full 16 miles of light-rail tracks installed as of early May. Crews have also completed installation of all 1,187 overhead wire poles supporting the power lines, MTA officials said in a press release. Service is expected to start in late 2027.
The 2.5-mile segment between the maintenance facility and Bethesda Station is the fourth of seven segments to undergo live-wire testing, they added. When fully operational, the Purple Line will connect Price George's and Montgomery counties. With 21 stations, the Purple Line will also offer connections to Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, Maryland Area Regional Commuter and Amtrak passenger-rail services.