Transport network structure : competition and policy implications

Abstract

Transport systems are closely related to the development of transport networks,which are reflected in both spatial structure and industrial structure.The research consists of four topics with reference to transport network structure at different levels, i.e. regional spatial structure level, national spatial structure level and industrial structure level.The first topic is to explore the evolution of a port network system from the regional spatial structure level. The main issues are the competition among multi-port regions and the expansion of transport networks. It addresses the evolution of regional port system and the development of transport network structure in South China. This study helps to understand the unique process of Pearl River Delta port system, which went from one gateway port to two and now is undergoing regionalization with specialization.The second topic explores a joint analysis of the rail and air transport networks in China, to reveal the competition and complementarity between transport terminals in shaping transport network hierarchy. Panel data models are applied to estimate on the aggregate terminal passenger traffic data. Empirical results show that the speed acceleration of railway has a negative impact on the passenger growth of air transport, while improvement of rail does not reduce the airport passenger traffic as a whole. The third topic concerns the railway network at the industrial structure level. It aims at comparing different industrial structures of the railway sector, in order to provide some guidance for the China Railway reform. The study of railway industrial structure reform issue is conducted through economic models primarily characterized by three features: vertical /horizontal separation, cost information asymmetry and strategies to eliminate the asymmetry.The fourth topic explores the market competition behavior of airport and carrier in multi-airport regions. It addresses the issue of the competition between hub and secondary airports in the intra-European market by using econometric estimation of airport choice structure. The results show the different preference patterns of business and leisure passengers in frequency, flight fare, hub airport and low cost carrier.