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Now comes the hard part.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and other state officials are pushing ahead with plans for two massive public train lines — one in the Baltimore area and one in the Washington, D.C., suburbs — each in need of about $1.5 billion.

O'Malley's strategy, at least for now, was clear this week: link the two train lines in terms of need and priority.

Both massive projects must be built, said Beverley K. Swaim-Staley, acting secretary of transportation for the state.

"I don't believe we have any choice but to push for both," she said. "We have to be proactive. Each of these projects is vital to their region."

But, some believe the move to conjoin the projects won't work in these tough economic times. And others wonder if the lines ultimately won't compete for the same pot of money.

"I see the need," said Sen. James E. DeGrange Sr. (D-Dist. 32) of Glen Burnie. "Even though we're a small state, we have two major cities, but I don't know where the state funds will come from."

The same likely could be said of the desired federal funds. Plans call for seeking half of the $3.1 billion combined cost from Congress this fall. The state would have to come up with the difference.

To make his case, O'Malley traveled to Prince George's County on Tuesday in support of the Purple Line — a proposed light-rail system connecting Bethesda to New Carrollton along a 16-mile route.

Two hours later, O'Malley made a similar announcement in Baltimore, promising supporters there that the state is firmly behind the Red Line, which would span 14 miles — from Woodlawn in the west to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in eastern Baltimore.

Maryland Department of Transportation spokesman Jack Cahalan emphasized that the simultaneous rollout was not a political move, but was driven by the high rates of traffic congestion and bus ridership in both regions.

"They've been on a parallel path for a long time," said Cahalan, who added that it was only logical to announce both projects the same day.

But Cahalan acknowledged that the projects might not stay linked once Congress takes up transportation funding this fall.

"These projects do have a tendency to take different tracks over time," he said.

Both projects need approval and money under the Federal Transit Administration's "New Starts" initiative, which funds transit projects nationwide. About $1.8 billion is budgeted for the program in the upcoming federal fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, although just $427 million is set aside for new projects like Maryland's two light-rail lines.

State officials currently have identical timelines for both projects. In a perfect world, they would get money to design both lines over the next three years.

Former Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D), who now is with the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, said O'Malley should be optimistic about getting what he needs over the next few years.

With President Obama in office, mass-transit projects like the Purple and Red lines are seen as a priority.

"This national administration is committed to transit. I think you'll be seeing a significant shift [in federal funding] from roads to transit," said Glendening, who said proceeding with both projects was "exactly the right decision."

Concerns that the projects may end up competing for funds may be unfounded, he said.

"There's been thinking for years that you can only do one of these lines at a time," he said. "But we've never done that for roads."

The federal government already has authorized $4 million each to the Red and Purple lines for preliminary engineering and environmental analysis in the upcoming fiscal year, according to Capitol Hill aides. And, state officials have budgeted planning funds through 2014, a transportation department spokesman said.

Still, Maryland likely will have to come up with the lion's share of funding to build the two projects. A recent analysis by the state's Department of Legislative Services estimates that the U.S. government probably won't contribute more than 40 to 50 percent of the costs of the two projects, leaving Maryland to come up with roughly $900 million for each.

"Obviously, this is a problem," DeGrange said. "We don't have the money. What else are we going to have to sacrifice [to go ahead] with one or both lines?"

Gene W. Counihan, a former Montgomery County delegate with experience on major transit projects, said the competition will be steep, but would be helped if the state sought less from the federal government.

"If you're willing to ask for just 17 percent, you can get in there [on the list]," he said. "But if you're looking for 50 percent, you're facing a lot of competition."