Public Budget Contributions to the European Rail Sector

摘要

This paper provides an analysis of the funding structure of the railwaysrnin eight European countries. It updates and expands the well-known database onrnpublic contributions to rail, which has initially been published by [NERA (2004)rnStudy of the Financing of and Public Budget Contributions to Railways: A FinalrnReport for European Commission, DG TREN. London: NERA National EconomicrnResearch Associates.]. The analysis shows that there are large differences concerningrnthe focus of granted funds which can be explained by different policyrnobjectives, differences in the level and degree of network access charges and differentrncost coverage ratios of public transport services. We identify a tendencyrntowards two main financing models. In our data-set countries either focus theirrnsupport payments on the operation of the infrastructure, which implies lowerrnnetwork charges and thus a lower amount of necessary Public Service Compensations,rnor they focus on the support of transport services with a higher degreernof cost coverage of network charges and thus a lower amount of operating contributionsrnpaid to the infrastructure manager. The structure of funds, differentrnapproaches of infrastructure financing and differences in the treatment of historicalrndebt are likely to have an influence on the performance of the investigatedrnrailway systems.