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Assessing the efficient cost of sustaining Britain’s rail network: perspectives based on Zonal comparisons

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  • Kennedy, J.
  • Smith, A.S.J.

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to inform the debate on how efficiency targets for Network Rail (formerly Railtrack) should be set during the 2002/03 Interim Review and beyond. Given the problems experienced during the 2000 Periodic Review, which focused on external benchmarks, we propose an internal benchmarking approach, drawing on data for seven geographical Zones within Railtrack (over the period 1995/96 to 2001/02). Our approach mirrors the yardstick competition method used in other UK regulated industries. Three efficiency measurement techniques are applied to this data (DEA; COLS; SFA). Our results suggest that Railtrack (as a whole) delivered substantial improvements in productivity in the early years after privatisation, although these savings were largely offset by the post-Hatfield cost increases. However, looking forward, Zonal efficiency differences suggest that the company could make significant savings in future years by applying (its own) best practice consistently across the network.

Suggested Citation

  • Kennedy, J. & Smith, A.S.J., 2003. "Assessing the efficient cost of sustaining Britain’s rail network: perspectives based on Zonal comparisons," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0317, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:0317
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mulatu, Abay & Crafts, Nicholas, 2005. "Efficiency among private railway companies in a weakly regulated system: the case of Britain's railways in 1893-1912," Economic History Working Papers 22552, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    2. D. Giannakis & T. Jamasb & M. Pollitt, 2003. "Benchmarking and Incentive Regulation of Quality of Service: an Application to the UK Electricity Distribution Utilities," Working Papers EP35, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    3. Andersson, Mats, 2007. "Fixed Effects Estimation of Marginal Railway Infrastructure Costs in Sweden," Working Papers 2007:11, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).
    4. Andersson, Mats, 2006. "Marginal railway infrastructure cost estimates in the presence of unobserved effects," Working Papers 2006:6, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corrected ordinary least squares; data envelopment analysis; efficiency analysis; internal benchmarking; railway; stochastic frontier analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L92 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Railroads and Other Surface Transportation

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