San Juan-Caguas Rail
Encyclopedia
The San Juan-Caguas Rail project will link the Puerto Rican cities of San Juan
and Caguas
through a "regional rail network
". The plan was announced by the Mayor of Caguas, William Miranda Marín
, along with former governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
on . 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 Government Bank of Development (Banco Gubernamental de Fomento in Spanish). The total cost of the project is estimated at between $375 million and $400 million US dollars
.
The execution of the project will be in charged by Mideast Technology Initiative "Tecnológica Centro Oriental" (INTECO), 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 The Innovative Transportation Group (ITG) - formed by French rail and urban transport management and design consultancy Semaly and Ray and locals such as architect Raúl Gayá, a project group which carried out the study, the drafting of enterprise consultation file documents and assistance in the choice of the contract holders.
, 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 10.7 miles (17.2 km) automated metro
system "Tren Urbano" is operating and underused.
Caguas, located about 20 miles (32.2 km) 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 as part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area.
Currently, the main form of transportation between these two cities is by two highways, PR-52 and PR-1
.
in the center 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 if projected future expansions are to be considered.
express lane along PR-52 has since been added. Current traffic levels continue to remain heavily congested during rush hour periods.
The original schedule was set to begin with Tren Interurbano's technical proposals being revealed by the end of 2007 with several firms bidding for the construction contract shortly thereafter. Beginning stages of construction were originally scheduled for the first quarter of 2008, which was planned to finish around the end of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010, allowing for two years of construction time.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
and Caguas
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
through a "regional rail network
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
". The plan was announced by the Mayor of Caguas, William Miranda Marín
William Miranda Marín
William "Willie" Miranda Marín was the mayor of Caguas, Puerto Rico from 1997 until his death in 2010.-Personal life:...
, along with former governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
on . 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 Government Bank of Development (Banco Gubernamental de Fomento in Spanish). The total cost of the project is estimated at between $375 million and $400 million US dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
.
The execution of the project will be in charged by Mideast Technology Initiative "Tecnológica Centro Oriental" (INTECO), 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
Tren Urbano
The Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
(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 The Innovative Transportation Group (ITG) - formed by French rail and urban transport management and design consultancy Semaly and Ray and locals such as architect Raúl Gayá, a project group which carried out the study, the drafting of enterprise consultation file documents and assistance in the choice of the contract holders.
Overview
San Juan is the capital of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, 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 10.7 miles (17.2 km) automated metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system "Tren Urbano" is operating and underused.
Caguas, located about 20 miles (32.2 km) 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 as part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area.
Currently, the main form of transportation between these two cities is by two highways, PR-52 and PR-1
Puerto Rico Highway 1
Puerto Rico Highway 1 connects the city of Ponce to San Juan. Leaving Ponce, the road follows somewhat parallel along the southern coast of the island and, at Salinas, it turns north to cut through the Cordillera Central in its approach to San Juan....
.
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 85 miles per hour (136.8 km/h), operating wholly on dedicated rights-of-wayRight-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
in the center 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 if projected future expansions are to be considered.
Schedule
As of , no work to date has begun and the project remains postponed, although one additional reversible (zipper-lane)Reversible lane
A reversible lane , called a counterflow lane or contraflow lane in transport engineering nomenclature, is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions...
express lane along PR-52 has since been added. Current traffic levels continue to remain heavily congested during rush hour periods.
The original schedule was set to begin with Tren Interurbano's technical proposals being revealed by the end of 2007 with several firms bidding for the construction contract shortly thereafter. Beginning stages of construction were originally scheduled for the first quarter of 2008, which was planned to finish around the end of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010, allowing for two years of construction time.
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.Financing resources
Proposed financing would include a long-term concession model, similar to privately developed Teodoro Moscoso bridge by SEOPAN 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.External links
- Caribbean Business Article Caguas To San Juan In 15 Minutes
- Innovative Transport Projects
- San Juan Tramway proposal – En Rieles