Managing privately produced rail transit systems : a case study of Tren Urbano

As developing countries face rapid urbanization, the need for efficient public transportation systems is being increasingly felt. Rail transit systems are best suited to meet the capacity requirements in several large cities. However, such systems are very expensive and take several years to build. Most such systems face operating losses and are a continual drain on public budgets. Traditional procurement methods have also resulted in severe time and cost overruns during the construction stage. It is for these reasons that several countries are looking at alternative procurement strategies, particularly those that integrate design, construction and operation. These strategies also seek to benefit from private sector efficiencies in the construction and operation of infrastructure facilities. The Tren Urbano, a rail transit system in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is being procured through such a novel approach. It can offer important lessons for similar procurements being contemplated around the world. This thesis looks at the responsibilities of a public agency during the operations and maintenance phase of such procurement. As no two situations can be exactly alike, and a universal model is not possible, it does so by examining the case of the Tren Urbano. It highlights the role of the government under different procurement options and suggests institutional arrangements for the proper management of the system. It also focuses on certain problems with regard to tort liability, ability to raise finances and dispute resolution that are likely to be encountered and suggests administrative and legislative measures to remedy them.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Agarwal, Om Prakash, 1953-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John B. Miller.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Technology and Policy Program

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9602

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/9602