RAIL OPERATION-INFRASTRUCTURE SEPARATION: THE CASE OF KOBE RAPID TRANSIT RAILWAY

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2004

Subject Area

mode - rail, operations - coordination, place - europe

Keywords

Rapid transit facilities, Rapid transit, Rail transit facilities, Policy analysis, Operations, Maintenance and repair, Maintenance, Japan, Infrastructure, Heavy rail transit, Europe, Costs, Coordination, Case studies

Abstract

The separation of infrastructure from rail operation has become common in Europe, but little evaluation of the policy has been conducted. The Japanese rail industry has avoided separating the ownership of infrastructure from operation due to the perceived coordination problems created by such a separation. This study explains one method of operation-infrastructure separation as practiced in the case of Kobe Kosoku, a unique rail infrastructure owning company in Japan. Practical coordination problems related to structuring separation also are discussed. The authors conclude that vertically separated systems do not have significant advantages over vertically integrated systems in terms of the maintenance costs of infrastructure. In fact, the results of the analysis of infrastructure maintenance costs indicate that vertically separated systems might not be significantly different from vertically integrated ones. Differences between the Kobe Kosuku example and infrastructure-providing companies in Europe are discussed.

Comments

Transport Policy Home Page: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0967070X

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