Research On Competition Barriers Of Railway Industry Based On Resource

Railway industry's reform remains a major concern. Some important factors such as competition efficiency, network economy and transaction cost affect reform model and trend of world railway industry. Based on this, the thesis realizes that competition introduce always is key focus in railway industry's reform. The same, china's railway industry reform and competition introduce are important practical topic in china.Competition introduce is a market-oriented process. Its essence is a process in which competition barriers are broken and constructed. Resource barrier is an important kind of competition barriers. Based on resources and strategic behavior, competition barriers'construction and use have important impact on resource allocation efficiency of railway industry.The thesis reviews the literature on the world railway competition introduction. The thesis analyses competition barriers and competition introduce from resource base on transportation economics and entry barrier theory and network form analytical framework. The thesis analyses the resource characteristics in railway industry, and point outs that regulation barriers and network & facilities barriers are most important competition barriers. The thesis analyses the behavior during constructing and using resource barrier. The thesis analyses resource allocation institutional arrangement about subject and methods to introduce competition. At last, the thesis inducts general rule in other country about competition introduction, and puts forward suggestion to china railway reform and competition introduction. The main contents and conclusions are listed in follow texts:First, this dissertation analyses the resource characteristics in railway industry. The resource characteristics may come down to four aspects. The first is network economy during using resource. Railway network economy includes not only cost perspective such as scale and density economy, but also demand perspective such as infrequence and platform economy. The second is co-use during using resource. Railway infrastructure such as track resource only gains network economy in co-use. But co-use may be subject to congestion. So railway dispatch and command is essential action to efficiency improvement. The third is complementary during using resource. The complementary reflects not only on track and signal, train and locomotive, but also infrastructure and operation. The fourth is natural monopoly and cost sunk during producing resource including one or more facilities.Second, this dissertation analyses the competition issues under different competition introduction scheme. The main scheme includes two types. One type is to introduce internal competition. The other is introducing external competition from other transportation mode. The former also includes two basic types. One is separation of network and operation, the other is region segmentation. Separation of network and operation is subject to two main competition issues: infrastructure monopoly and operation firm constructing or using resource barrier. Region segmentation is subject to interconnection issues. External competition from other transportation mode is an good supplement for competition efficiency improvement such as eastern region with developed integrated transportation.Third, this dissertation analyses behavior of constructing and using resource barrier. First, the behavior under separation of network and operation is analyzed. Under the scheme, the key of constructing resource barrier is to hoard track and license resource such as vertical integration, horizontal merger, market transaction, site occupation, and seeking rent or lobby. The key of using resource barrier is to discriminate other firm during selling resources such as exclusive dealing, tied transaction and monopoly pricing. Second, the behavior under region segmentation is analyzed. Under the scheme, the key of expanding track network such as horizontal merger, own fund and lobby stricter entry standard. The key of using resource barrier is to track resource access monopoly such as improving access price, abusing dispatch and command, delaying receivership, even directly refusing access physical facility.Fourth, this dissertation analyses resource allocation mechanism to improve railway competition introduction. First, the allocation subject and methods under separation of network and operation is analyzed. Under the scheme, government and infrastructure producer is not should be subject. Two public firms should be set up such as track resource allocation firm and railway development invest or subsidy firm. During the initial allocation process, auction and price methods may impact on operation firm's specific investment incentive, which should be considered in comparison with other methods such queue rule and lot rule. During the second allocation process, resource fluid may improve resource use efficiency, but may provide hoard chance for big firm. So, second market transaction must be ruled to restrict anti-competition behavior. Second, the allocation subject and methods under region segmentation is analyzed. Under the scheme, region firms or commercial intermediary are subject when they can cooperate and agree on interconnect transaction in repeat game or static game with an external arbiter help. And the transaction agreement articles on transaction rule change with contract. Of course, if they can't agree on interconnect, then government should become allocation subject. And government should regulate interconnect transaction rule such as access price, dispatch and command, receivership.Fifth, this dissertation analyses the process of competition introduction in America and EU railway industry. The foreign railway's reform is just to reconfigure resource barrier portfolio. With transportation development, other transportation mode such as airline, highway, have formed inter-mode competition to railway. And form network form, railway resource barrier have loosed in four network layers, including track and facility layer, operation and service layer, firm and organization layer, policy and system layer.Sixth, this dissertation analyses resource barrier and provides suggestion and measure on introducing competition into china railway industry. First, china railway department with government-enterprise combination make high regulation resource barrier. So government should be separated with enterprise. Second, other transportation modes'development are break down railway structure resource barrier. So market power should be depended on to restrict railway monopoly. Third, china railway track network is broken down severely. So it is necessary to adjust industry organization form, reduce railway bureau number, set up railway general company with holding share, and then gradually peer off other business. Fourth, transaction rule imperfect. So railway competition introduction must be set up on perfect transaction rules. Otherwise, access and operation resource barrier may make unfair competition between state-own railway firm and other railway firm such as joint-venture railway. So, perfect transaction rules are institutional foundation for introducing competition into china railway industry.