FACTORS DETERMINING THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF THE RAILWAY. IMPORTANCE OF THE DIFFERENT QUALITY FEATURES AND OF THE FREIGHT CHARGES IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE COMPETITORS. CONSEQUENCES FOR THE RAILWAY

In industrialised countries, the railway, road haulage, inland navigation, and often also coastal navigation and pipelines are normally in competition with each other as far as goods traffic is concerned. Their capabilities and services differ greatly from each other. If it is assumed that, for each of the modes: rail/road/shipping, a more or less satisfactory infrastructure is available, the service characteristics relevant to the competition can be described as follows. A railway with modern equipment, with an infrastructure (i.e. sections of line and junctions) properly adapted to goods traffic, planning and producing its goods services in keeping with the intrinsic advantages of the system and without yielding priority to passenger services, and making the most of its service advantages through a consistent marketing policy, will logically enjoy a competitive power matching its favourable physical conditions as land-bound mode of transport. Given equitable conditions of competition and a corresponding productivity of the staff, the railway is far superior to inland navigation and also able to compete with pipelines as long as the traffic volume in the relation concerned is not exceptionally high. The railway is able to cope with large quantities of goods at favorable prices and therefor to serve the locations of any kind of industry. Within this framework, the railway is able to influence the elasticity of demand for transport services in its own favour.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Railway Congress Association

  17-21 rue de Louvrain
  1000 Brussels,   Belgium 
• Authors:
  • Uebelacker, K
• Publication Date: 1975-5

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 357-362
• Serial:
  • RAIL INTERNATIONAL
  • Issue Number: 5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Competition; Demand; Freight service; Freight traffic; Freight transportation; Inland waterways; Logistics; Mode choice; Motor carriers; Pipelines; Quality of service; Rates
• Uncontrolled Terms: Freight rates
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Motor Carriers; Pipelines; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00099821
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Rail International
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 18 1975 12:00AM