Interesting! What you rode was apparently the Mandalay Bay-Excalibur Tram, which is apparently of the exotic CABLE Line Shuttle system made by Austrian ropeway-maker giant Doppelmayr. Sounds like MGM Mirage was going for the exotic show-off rather than something that works. I think that mindset might be a problem with both potential private investors and city councillors.
Are there examples of private mass transit systems in Europe?
I can't think of an entire city mass transit system that is private. Single lines, a sub-system (Ferrovie Nord Milano) or a PPP scheme (management of the London Underground's infrastructure), but not all of it. These companies have long-term agreements with the respective city, get subsidies, and are integrated with the rest of the system. Also, there is the European issue of private and "private", where an incorporated public transport company is often majority- or 100%-owned by public hand, say a local authority. *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
