At a time when activity in US high speed rail has reached a climax, since the injection of an $8bn stimulus package in February 2009, the industry needs a conference that focuses on how to practically finance high speed rail projects to work towards sustainability and, eventually, profitability. Instead of dealing with the technical difficulties of building high speed rail, or how to import technologies from abroad, this conference provides a definitive discussion of the different financial models that have been employed in high speed projects abroad and within the US, as well as a financially-driven investigation of where and when the best investments in high speed rail will occur in the US. Bringing together the financial community, federal regulatory authorities, state departments of transport, high speed rail projects and the largest manufacturers and global suppliers of high speed rail, this summit will not only deliver the tools for managing risk and gaining public and political support, it will also provide a platform for multi-stakeholder partnerships that will facilitate the future of profitable high speed rail.
This is the only event in US high speed rail that deals exclusively with how to work towards profitability. Our industry contacts have said that the most pressing issue that the industry needs to learn about is how high speed rail will actually be financed (recognising that the stimulus package is insufficient to complete any project). This event will provide realistic data specific to US rail projects regarding risk as well as the most cost-effective financial models to help projects work towards the goal of profitability.
Having presented the different financial models, the conference will provide a unique opportunity to actually assess how these financial models will be played out on the ground, with a detailed comparison of the total costs and benefits of incremental high speed rail and new track high speed rail to define what makes a good investment. Hearing from the actual financial institutions involved will give the conference real-world application, and private investors and state authorities will be able to form meaningful partnerships to actually carry out the most cost-effective financial models identified.
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