Publication: Reform, Commercialization and Private Sector Participation in Railways in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Date
2005-01
ISSN
Published
2005-01
Author(s)
Amos, Paul
Abstract
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.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Amos, Paul. 2005. Reform, Commercialization and Private Sector Participation in Railways in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Transport Papers series;no. TP-4. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17406 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”