Odd Military Lines - A Comparative Analysis of the Czech Railway Network's Efficiency.

KVIZDA, Martin. Odd Military Lines - A Comparative Analysis of the Czech Railway Network's Efficiency. In 7th Conference on the History of Transport, Traffic, and Mobility - Energy and Innovation. 1st ed. Lucerne: T2M, 2009, p. 1-9.

Basic information

• Original name: Odd Military Lines - A Comparative Analysis of the Czech Railway Network's Efficiency.
• Name in Czech: Vojenské železnice - komparativní analýza efektivnosti české železniční sítě.
• Authors: KVIZDA, Martin.
• Edition: 1. vyd. Lucerne, 7th Conference on the History of Transport, Traffic, and Mobility - Energy and Innovation, p. 1-9, 9 pp. 2009.
• Publisher: T2M

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Proceedings paper
• Field of Study: 50200 5.2 Economics and Business
• Country of publisher: Switzerland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Publication form: storage medium (CD, DVD, flash disk)
• WWW: URL
• Organization unit: Faculty of Economics and Administration
• Keywords (in Czech): síťový efekt; ekonomická historie; path dependence; historie železnice
• Keywords in English: network effect; economic history; path dependence; railways history
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Liberalisation, unbundling and privatisation are basic principles of contemporary reforms of railway industry in the European Union. The hypothesis to be examined in this paper is an empirical evidence of path dependency of the Czech railway network, i.e. the fact, that some lines of the Czech network were established due to others than economic reasons and that is why these lines are odd and inefficient nowadays. The study is of relevance because the Czech Republic carries out reforms of railways nowadays, attempting to improve efficiency and competitiveness of railway transport. Economic efficiency of railway industry, in principle, does not depend on direct costs only (i.e. on operation costs), but on indirect costs of network as well. Previous studies have suggested that efficiency of railway operations is connected with the shape of a railway network by means of economies of scale, density of transport, and network effect. Many studies report that density of transport is the major factor to make profit from railway operations, while other factors (economies of scale, network effect) are closely connected or simply based on density of transport. That means the network, its technical standards and shape, is a limit factor of railway industry's efficiency and competitiveness.

Abstract (in Czech)

Liberalisation, unbundling and privatisation are basic principles of contemporary reforms of railway industry in the European Union. The hypothesis to be examined in this paper is an empirical evidence of path dependency of the Czech railway network, i.e. the fact, that some lines of the Czech network were established due to others than economic reasons and that is why these lines are odd and inefficient nowadays. The study is of relevance because the Czech Republic carries out reforms of railways nowadays, attempting to improve efficiency and competitiveness of railway transport. Economic efficiency of railway industry, in principle, does not depend on direct costs only (i.e. on operation costs), but on indirect costs of network as well. Previous studies have suggested that efficiency of railway operations is connected with the shape of a railway network by means of economies of scale, density of transport, and network effect. Many studies report that density of transport is the major factor to make profit from railway operations, while other factors (economies of scale, network effect) are closely connected or simply based on density of transport. That means the network, its technical standards and shape, is a limit factor of railway industry's efficiency and competitiveness.

Links

• GA402/08/1438, research and development project: Name: Konkurenceschopnost a konkurence v železniční dopravě - možnosti a limity hospodářské politiky

Investor: Czech Science Foundation, Competitive a advantage and competition within railway trnasport - chances and limits of economic policy