THE TEXAS CASE: WHY PRIVATE FINANCING FAILED

In Texas, high speed rail hit perhaps the most benchmarks of any high speed rail attempt in the United States to date, and yet it failed just a few months ago. The author's basic premise is that 100% private financing is not really possible for a major infrastructure project such as high speed rail. Given the institutional nature and market of the United States, low returns to private investors make 100% private financing of high speed rail nearly impossible. An argument for the alternative is that we really need some kind of balance between the public and the private sector. The author relates the history of the Texas TGV experience with high speed rail, and presents her analysis of the reasons for its failure.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10527524
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented in Forum Session "Derailed: Case Histories of the Failure of High Speed Rail in the United States". These proceedings, Volume 8 of the TRF 36th Annual Conference, were funded for publication by the UPS Foundation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Forum

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• Authors:
  • Ng, H
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Forum, Post-Meeting Proceedings, 36th Annual Meeting, Volume 8
  • Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
  • Date: 1994-11-3 to 1994-11-5
• Publication Date: 1994

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 59-63
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Transportation Research Forum
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Forum
  • ISSN: 1052-7524

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Economic analysis; Failure; Financing; Governments; High speed rail; Infrastructure; Investments; Markets; Private enterprise; Railroad commuter service; Railroad transportation; Return on investment
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Economics; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00727115
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 8
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 23 1996 12:00AM