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Purple Line team says project is over 80% complete, targets end-of-2027 opening
Summary
Maryland Transit Administration and contractors told Montgomery County’s Transportation and Environment Committee the Purple Line is more than 80% complete, with 19 of 28 light-rail vehicles on site and end-to-end testing scheduled for spring 2026; the MTA reiterated a target of opening for revenue service by the end of 2027.
The Maryland Transit Administration and Purple Line contractors told the Montgomery County Transportation and Environment Committee that construction is progressing and major testing milestones point toward revenue service by late 2027.
MTA senior project director Ray Biggs said the project is “more than 80% complete” and that 19 of the 28 light-rail vehicles have been delivered to the site; he said the remaining vehicles are expected to arrive by year-end. Biggs said track installation is over 70% complete and that the project will begin end-to-end system testing in spring 2026, which will signal that major construction work is finished.
Those milestones echo recent on-site work updates: MTS project manager Hugo Fonte Roche reported finished blasting and excavation for the Bethesda station elevator shaft and cavern, completed track installation through the enclosed trainway in Bethesda, and ongoing waterproofing, concrete and elevator system work at station caverns. Fonte Roche also listed progress on station platforms, bridges and flyovers across the alignment.
Biggs described operational testing that started with dynamic night testing in March and expanded in August, emphasizing safety protocols during overnight testing. "We now have 19 of those 28 light rail vehicles," he said, outlining the plan to complete vehicle deliveries and finish track installation before spring 2026.
Committee members asked when construction would be considered “complete” and when riders could expect service. Biggs repeated the schedule cited in the presentation: track installation through Montgomery County is expected to be completed in spring 2026, end-to-end system testing is scheduled for spring 2026, and revenue service is targeted "by the end of 2027." He framed the testing window as the milestone that transitions the program from construction to system integration and safety verification.
The presentation also listed local construction milestones that will affect traffic and access during the final work phases, including temporary closures and lane restorations. Hugo Fonte Roche identified a temporary closure of Sligo Creek Parkway between Wayne Avenue and Piney Branch Road from September 22 to November 22 to allow track placement and related work.
The committee said it will compile written questions it could not address during the hearing and follow up with the project team. The MTA and contractors provided slide decks and a revised staff report that the committee said would be posted later that afternoon for public review.
