The Rail Freight Challenge for Emerging Economies


Book Description

This report captures ways in which policy makers and senior officials in railway organizations from emerging economies can accelerate modal shift to rail. Such officials, as well as the general public, aspire for more freight to be moved by rail. The environmental and societal benefits of such a shift are compelling. And yet investment in railways is often not followed by a corresponding increase in freight moved by rail. This report highlights the fact that, in a world of changing global supply chains and logistics, the approach to regaining modal share needs to be different. The expectation that lower cost and efficient rail service will automatically lead to modal shift from road to rail has not been a reality in most emerging economies. Modern railways focus on understanding the logistics of targeted freight and positioning rail transport services as part of an overall logistics system aimed at meeting the needs of customers.




The Rail Freight Challenge for Emerging Economies


Book Description

This report captures ways in which policy makers and senior officials in railway organizations from emerging economies can accelerate modal shift to rail. Such officials, as well as the general public, aspire for more freight to be moved by rail. The environmental and societal benefits of such a shift are compelling. And yet investment in railways is often not followed by a corresponding increase in freight moved by rail. This report highlights the fact that, in a world of changing global supply chains and logistics, the approach to regaining modal share needs to be different. The expectation that lower cost and efficient rail service will automatically lead to modal shift from road to rail has not been a reality in most emerging economies. Modern railways focus on understanding the logistics of targeted freight and positioning rail transport services as part of an overall logistics system aimed at meeting the needs of customers.




U.S. Freight Rail Economics and Policy


Book Description

The passage of the Staggers Rail Act in 1980 led brought a renaissance to the freight rail industry. In the decade following, economists documented the effects of the Act on a variety of important economic metrics including prices, costs, and productivity. Over the preceding years, and with the return of the industry to more stable footing, attention to the industry by economists faded. The lack of attention, however, has not been due to a dearth of ongoing economic and policy issues that continue to confront the industry. In this volume, we begin to rectify this inattention. Rather than retread older analyses or provide yet another look at the consequences of Staggers, we assemble a collection of ten chapters in four sections that collectively provide fresh and up-to-date analyses of the economic issues and policy challenges the industry faces: the first section sets the context through foundational discussion of freight rail; the second section highlights the role of freight rail in an increasingly interrelated economy; the third section examines industry structure and scope in freight rail; and the fourth section assesses current regulatory challenges that confront freight rail. This book will be of great value to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students interested in the fields of freight rail economics and policy, transportation, business history, and regulatory economics.




U.S. Freight Rail Economics and Policy


Book Description

The passage of the Staggers Rail Act in 1980 led brought a renaissance to the freight rail industry. In the decade following, economists documented the effects of the Act on a variety of important economic metrics including prices, costs, and productivity. Over the preceding years, and with the return of the industry to more stable footing, attention to the industry by economists faded. The lack of attention, however, has not been due to a dearth of ongoing economic and policy issues that continue to confront the industry. In this volume, we begin to rectify this inattention. Rather than retread older analyses or provide yet another look at the consequences of Staggers, we assemble a collection of ten chapters in four sections that collectively provide fresh and up-to-date analyses of the economic issues and policy challenges the industry faces: the first section sets the context through foundational discussion of freight rail; the second section highlights the role of freight rail in an increasingly interrelated economy; the third section examines industry structure and scope in freight rail; and the fourth section assesses current regulatory challenges that confront freight rail. This book will be of great value to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students interested in the fields of freight rail economics and policy, transportation, business history, and regulatory economics.




Emerging Challenges and Opportunities of High Speed Rail Development on Business and Society


Book Description

The increasingly busy lives of people in modern society cause a high dependence on the transportation sector. Traffic congestion, road maintenance, and a myriad of other problems have led stakeholders to seriously examine alternatives to traditional road traveling. Emerging Challenges and Opportunities of High Speed Rail Development on Business and Society is an authoritative reference source on the promising aspects of high speed railway transportation to supplement road travel. Highlighting empirical research, implementations plans, and future opportunities, this book is ideally designed for government officials, researchers, upper-level students, and technology developers working in the field of transportation.




Sustainable Railway Futures


Book Description

Revitalizing railways as a major sustainable transport mode in modern societies faces many issues and challenges. This in-depth overview places the importance of railways in the wider context of comprehensive sustainability, which encompasses sustainable development, social and economic equity and community livability. Some scholars have described the 21st century as a period of renaissance for railways and suggest this transport mode can fulfil people's desire for high mobility with low negative environmental, social, economic and financial impacts. In light of these new expectations for railways, in both passenger and freight transport worldwide, this book offers the latest research insights on the renewed interest about railway expansions and their wide-ranging environmental, socio-economic and even political implications.




Freight Transport Modeling in Emerging Countries


Book Description

Freight Transport Modeling in Emerging Countries examines freight transport models developed in emerging countries including Turkey, South Africa, India, Chile, and more. It provides a toolbox of successful freight transport model applications, alternative data collection methods, and evaluation techniques for the development of future policies. The book offers solutions for issues related to the urban, national, and international transportation of goods and examines new advances in freight transport models and data collection techniques and their applications in emerging countries. Emerging countries have unique transport-related policies, regulatory structures, logistics systems, and long-term uncertainties that hinder their economic development. This book tackles these issues by examining decision-making models for locating logistics sites such as ports and distribution centers, modeling urban freight movements in megacities and port cities, using existing datasets to get information when data is not available, implementing policies related to the national and international movements of goods, and more. Includes a wide variety of opinions and approaches from subject matter experts around the world Utilizes a case-based approach Includes a range of learning tools that feature chapter openers, end of chapter questions, a glossary, and more Examines new advances in freight transport models and data collection techniques




Logistics and Supply Chains in Emerging Markets


Book Description

Emerging markets hold the key to the development of the global logistics industry over the next 20 years. Whilst developed economies struggle to come to terms with huge levels of debt, newly industrialized markets are showing strong growth prospects as manufacturers and investors look at low-cost production locations. Essential reading for anyone involved in emerging markets or global logistics, Logistics and Supply Chains in Emerging Markets is the definitive guide to maximising opportunities in emerging markets. This book explores the inherent challenges for global logistics providers when investing and operating in widely-dispersed and sometimes unstable emerging markets. Taking into account the social, economic, and political context, John Manners-Bell, Thomas Cullen, and Cathy Roberson guide you through the key considerations and provide a realistic evaluation of the infrastructures in place to support expansion in emerging markets. Logistics and Supply Chains in Emerging Markets analyses prospects for Asia, Latin America, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, including the potential of future logistics hotspots. There are dedicated sections on the BRIC transport and logistics sectors. Supported by a unique downloadable survey of 800 top executives, Logistics and Supply Chains in Emerging Markets gives you unrivalled access to top executives' evaluation of which emerging markets have the greatest potential to become future logistics hotspots, and how they integrate with global supply chains now and in the future.




Enhancing Our Rail Safety


Book Description

The transportation of products and people is absolutely essential to our economy. It's the lifeblood of job creation and economic growth. We are at a critical period in the Nation's long and storied railroad history. There are severe consequences to failures in safety and reliability. We've seen them in Metro-North, the busiest railroad in the country, and the series of incidents have caused not only delays in convenience, economic harm, but also injuries and fatalities. The American public also may not realize the severe environmental consequences and economic costs that could result from repetitions of these failures in safety and reliability. It is the responsibility of railroads to make investments and improve policies and practices; change their cultures; and install new leadership, because the record has to be improved. Federal agencies also have a responsibility to oversee and scrutinize those practices and policies of railroads, and the leadership and management that is coming from our railroads.




Transportation and Economic Development Challenges


Book Description

Recent years have seen considerable changes in the technology of transportation with the development of high-speed rail networks, more fuelefficient automobiles and aircraft, and the widespread adoption of informatics in disciplines such as traffic management and supply chain logistics. The contributions to this volume assess transportation interactions with employment and income, examine some of the policies that have been deployed to maximize the economic and social impacts of transportation provision at the local and regional levels and analyze how advances in transportation technologies have, and will, impact future development. Due in part to the general liberalization of markets, there have been major changes in the institutional environment in which transportation is supplied; these changes inevitably affect wider economic systems and development, although in turn these changes feed back upon transportation networks. The contributors to this work develop these and other themes, from a variety of perspectives, implementing a wide range of academic approaches into their analyses. Stemming from initiatives of the Network on European Communications and Transport Activities Research (NECTAR), Transportation and Economic Development Challenges presents a body of research that exemplifies the organization's objective of fostering research collaboration around the world.