'PRIVATISATION IS NOT THE END OF THE LINE'

The author of this article argues that British railways and British train operating companies (TOCs) will continue to evolve. The continuing replacement of the UK's passenger rail franchises can be viewed as one further step in the evolution and modernisation of the national rail system. This evolutionary process represents a classic pattern of reform, liberalisation, and empowerment, which can be observed in railways worldwide and in other transport modes. Its successive stages are: (1) traditional command structure; (2) market-oriented command structure; (3) business sector structure; (4) public-private intermediate business structure; and (5) privatised (railway) business companies. Thus rail organisations become more and more adaptable. Recent research by Halcrow Rail for the European Commission has established a clear relation between the adaptability (level of reform and liberalisation) of railways and their cost-efficiency. In a study involving all European railways, the most adaptable railways are several times more efficient than the least adaptable. This study considers the railways of the UK and Sweden two of the most efficient, having progressed farthest with reforms. Greater market potential is likely to be realised from various factors emerging in the rail sector.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/49957551
• Corporate Authors:

  RAIL PROFESSIONAL LTD

  PO BOX 77
  HORSHAM, WEST SUSSEX  United Kingdom  RH13 5QH
• Authors:
  • Brown, M
• Publication Date: 2000-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 22-3
• Serial:
  • Rail Professional
  • Publisher: Cambridge Publishers Limited
  • ISSN: 1476-2196
  • Serial URL: http://www.cpl.biz/ourwork/general/rp.htm

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carriers; Contracts; Costs; Deregulation; Economic efficiency; Improvements; International; Policy; Private enterprise; Privatization; Public transit; Railroad transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Geographic Terms: Sweden; United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 146: Contract; 224: Cost; 144: Deregulation; 5911: Efficiency; 9108: Improvement; 9034: International; 173: Policy; 9118: Private; 171: Privatisation; 744: Public transport; 1173: Rail bound transport; 8109: Sweden; 274: Transport operator; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Finance; Policy; Public Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00799680
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Oct 6 2000 12:00AM