COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LIBERALIZATION PROCESS OF PASSENGERS RAILWAY MARKET IN SPAIN AND ENGLAND

Abstract

[EN] This article provides an overview of the privatization of railway passengers market in Spain through a background to the most relevant cases studies in Europe, particularly the liberalization process in England. The English case study is a paradigmatic example to assess how the liberalization process was developed and its effect in the present. This assessment has been undertaken to analyse the railway franchise structure, ticketing measures, role of national and regional authorities, etc. and possible analogies to be adapted to the case of Spain. Firstly, this article reviews the origin of the privatization of the railway market in both Spain and England, describing every phase of the liberalization and the success of every stage. Secondly, a critical approach assessment exposes those market failures of the liberalization process in England that caused negative impacts on society. In addition, the role of the Government is analysed to measure their implication in order to solve that situation. Furthermore, the paper expounds a wide analysis of the rail ticketing in England, its effects on increased passenger number. Finally, this article proposes some measures to be followed on the privatization of passenger rail market in Spain, as well as some key concepts to guarantee its success as taken from the case studies that have been reviewed.