Maryland Governor Larry Hogan authorized the construction contract for the long awaited Purple Line light rail transit line that will connect New Carollton with the Red Line at  Bethesda, Md., as part of the Maryland Transit Administration’s system. After a full and thorough competitive bid process, the administration has selected Purple Line Transit Partners for the 16.2-mile-long transit system in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The new service will connect MARC Commuter Rail, Amtrak, and WMATA rapid transit services, and is expected to open to the public in 2021.

—Passenger Train Journal