Reform, Commercialization and Private Sector Participation in Railways in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Reform, Commercialization and Private Sector Participation in Railways in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Railway reform in the ECA region provides a mixed picture. Seven countries could reasonably be described as 'high' reformers: Estonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic. Most of the high and medium ref...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Amos, Paul
Format:	Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:	BUSINESS UNITS CARRIERS COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS COMMERCIALIZATION COMMUTERS COMPETITIVE FORCES CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS CROSS-SUBSIDIES DRIVING EXPANSION FAIR COMPETITION FARES FEDERAL RAILWAY FRAMEWORK FREIGHT FREIGHT CUSTOMERS FREIGHT OPERATIONS FREIGHT TRAFFIC FREIGHT TRANSPORT FREIGHT USERS FREIGHT WAGONS HOLDING COMPANY INDEPENDENT REGULATION INDUSTRY STRUCTURE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC JOINT STOCK COMPANY LEGAL STATUS LICENSING LOCAL AUTHORITIES LOCAL PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES MOUNTING OPERATING COSTS PASSENGER RAIL PASSENGER RAILWAY PASSENGER SERVICES PASSENGER TRAFFIC PASSENGER TRAINS PASSENGER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS PRIVATE COMPANY PRIVATE INVESTMENT PRIVATE OPERATORS PRIVATE OWNERSHIP PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION PRIVATE TRANSPORT PRIVATIZATION PUBLIC TRANSPORT RAIL RAIL CARRIER RAIL ENTITIES RAIL FREIGHT RAIL FREIGHT OPERATORS RAIL INDUSTRY RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE RAIL NETWORK RAIL OPERATIONS RAIL OPERATORS RAIL PASSENGER RAIL SECTOR RAIL SECTORS RAIL SERVICES RAIL TRAFFIC RAIL TRANSPORT RAIL TRANSPORT SERVICES RAILWAY RAILWAY COMPANY RAILWAY COSTS RAILWAY INDUSTRY RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE RAILWAY MAINTENANCE RAILWAY MANAGEMENT RAILWAY NETWORK RAILWAY NETWORKS RAILWAY OPERATORS RAILWAY POLICIES RAILWAY POLICY RAILWAY REFORM RAILWAY RESTRUCTURING RAILWAY SERVICES RAILWAY SYSTEM RAILWAY SYSTEMS RAILWAY TRAFFIC RAILWAY TRANSPORT RAILWAYS RANGE ROAD TRANSPORT ROUTE SERVICE CONTRACTS SETTING OUT STATE-OWNED COMPANY STRUCTURES SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES SUPPLY INDUSTRY TIMBER TRACK TRACKS TRAFFIC DENSITY TRAFFIC LEVELS TRAFFIC UNITS TRAFFIC VOLUME TRAIN OPERATING COMPANIES TRAIN OPERATORS TRAINS TRANSPORT SECTOR WAGONS
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/01/6364222/reform-commercialization-private-sector-participation-railways-eastern-europe-central-asia-reform-commercialization-private-sector-participation-railways-eastern-europe-central-asia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17406

Description
Summary:	Railway reform in the ECA region provides a mixed picture. Seven countries could reasonably be described as 'high' reformers: Estonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic. Most of the high and medium reformers have in the last few years adopted new railway laws, adopted more commercial business structures, tried explicitly to address the issue of funding passenger losses, privatized some non-core businesses and encouraged some competition in input (supply) markets. But only Estonia has privatized a core railway transport business while a few other countries (such as Kazakhstan and Romania) have instituted third party rail freight operations for a significant part of the market. Russia is classified as a medium reformer because the reforms are still at an early stage. But given the scale and complexity of the challenge, it will be the most impressive of achievement if the stated policies for private operations and competition can be realized. About ten out of the ECA 27 countries have not yet significantly reformed their railway industries, though two or three of these have plans (but not yet legislation) to do so. Those countries judged as being 'low reformers' are not all poor performers. The business and financial performance of the railways in Ukraine and Azerbaijan, for example, is currently improving although there has been little structural change in the industry. However, some of the railways in this group such as Albania, Macedonia, and Turkey are in dire straits.