San Juan-Caguas Rail

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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available.

The San Juan-Caguas Rail project will link the Puerto Rican cities of San Juan and Caguas through a "light interurban rail" network. The plan was announced by the Mayor of Caguas, William Miranda Marín, along with governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá on March 9, 2007. The agreement signed creates a public-private society between three parties: the central government, the city council and a regional partnership; it entails an investment of $200 million by the central government through the Governmental Bank of Fomento "Banco Gubernamental de Fomento" (BGF). The total cost of the project is estimated at between $375 million and $400 million US dollars.

The ALSTOM Coradia Lint interurban trainset is a candidate to serve the San Juan-Caguas Rail project with panoramic front, side and back windows and front facing interior seats.

The execution of the project will be in charged by Initiative Technological Eastern Center "Tecnológica Centro Oriental" (INTECO),^[1] a non-profit organization that groups municipal governments, academic and industrial institutions of the region.

The new line will include two stops in Caguas that will connect the Tren Urbano (Urban Train in English) in San Juan. The mayor of Caguas projected that in first year ridership should be between 10.000 and 15.000 daily, and that it should climb to about 20.000 in a year and a half.

The Puerto Rico Highway & Transportation Authority (PRHTA) has chosen ITI (Innovative Transport Inc.), SEMALY and Ray, a project group which is conducting initial design studies, the drafting of enterprise consultation file documents and assistance in the choice of the contract holders.^[2]

[edit] Overview

The planned San Juan-Caguas Rail route.

San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico, and its metropolitan area has a population of approximately 2 million, almost one half of the main island's total. It is the economic and political center of Puerto Rico, and its main international entry point. Currently a 17.2 kilometre (10.7 mile) automated metro system "Tren Urbano" is operating and underused.^[3]

Caguas, located about 20 kilometers (12 mi) south of San Juan, is the fifth-largest city in terms of population with approximately 200,000. It is part of the agricultural, commercial and industrial core of the central region as well part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area.^[4]

Currently, the main form of transportation between these two cities is by two over saturated highways.

[edit] Features

To be competitive and attractive, the projected local and regional "rapid rail line" will run between San Juan and Caguas up to an ideally maximum 120 km/h (about 75 mph), operating wholly on dedicated rights-of-way in the centre of highway PR-52, covering the distance between the two cities in about 15 minutes (for comparison, an automobile takes about 20 minutes in non-rush hour time and may take up to 90 minutes in rush hour). Luggage racks and laptop computer sockets could be a possibility for projected future expansions.

[edit] Schedule

The technical proposals will be revealed by the end of 2007, the firms bidding for the construction contract will be awarded thereafter. The beginning of the work is scheduled for the first quarter of 2008. It is estimated that they will take up to 24+ months, finishing around the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010.^[5]

[edit] Stations

The new train will link San Juan's Tren Urbano Cupey or Centro Médico stations with las Catalinas Mall and Plaza Centro stations in Caguas. Several intermediate stops are proposed, one of these being Montehiedra.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Financing resources

Proposed financing would include a long-term concession model, similar to privately developed Teodoro Moscoso bridge by SEOPAN^[6] under which private firms would finance, design, build and manage major portions of the system under long-term franchises. Federal Government funding is not being sought at this time.

[edit] See also

• Rail transport in Puerto Rico
• Transportation in Puerto Rico

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Caribbean Business article: Caguas To San Juan In 15 Minutes
• Innovative Transport Projects
• San Juan Tramway proposal – En Rieles