IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/juipol/v66y2020ics0957178720300941.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does vertical integration facilitate coordination between infrastructure management and train operating units in the rail sector? Implications for Japanese railways

Author

Listed:
  • Nakamura, Eri
  • Sakai, Hiroki

Abstract

We investigate why vertical integration facilitates coordination between infrastructure management and train operating units in a railway system. An analysis of three Japanese rail companies shows that informal communication is significant for overall coordination, and mechanisms enhancing informal communication are observed mainly at the task group and individual levels. In contrast, mechanisms enhancing formal communication are observed mainly at the organisational level. Although these mechanisms mitigate coordination problems observed in vertical separation, their employment requires a transition to vertical integration, which can be an option in high-density areas where close coordination is required.

Suggested Citation

  • Nakamura, Eri & Sakai, Hiroki, 2020. "Does vertical integration facilitate coordination between infrastructure management and train operating units in the rail sector? Implications for Japanese railways," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:66:y:2020:i:c:s0957178720300941
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2020.101099
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178720300941
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jup.2020.101099?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fumitoshi Mizutani & Shuji Uranishi, 2013. "Does vertical separation reduce cost? An empirical analysis of the rail industry in European and East Asian OECD Countries," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 31-59, January.
    2. Fumitoshi Mizutani & Andrew Smith & Chris Nash & Shuji Uranishi, 2015. "Comparing the Costs of Vertical Separation, Integration, and Intermediate Organisational Structures in European and East Asian Railways," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 49(3), pages 496-515, July.
    3. Preston, John & Robins, Dawn, 2013. "Evaluating the long term impacts of transport policy: The case of passenger rail privatisation," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 14-20.
    4. Merkert, Rico, 2010. "Changes in transaction costs over time - The case of franchised train operating firms in Britain," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 52-59.
    5. Nash, Chris, 2008. "Passenger railway reform in the last 20 years - European experience reconsidered," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 61-70, January.
    6. Rico Merkert & Andrew S. J. Smith & Chris A. Nash, 2012. "The Measurement of Transaction Costs - Evidence from European Railways," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 46(3), pages 349-365, September.
    7. Finger, Matthias, 2014. "Governance of competition and performance in European railways: An analysis of five cases," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 278-288.
    8. Yvrande-Billon, Anne & Menard, Claude, 2005. "Institutional constraints and organizational changes: the case of the British rail reform," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 56(4), pages 675-699, April.
    9. Nakamura, Eri & Sakai, Hiroki & Shoji, Kenichi, 2018. "Managerial transfers to reduce transaction costs among affiliated firms: Case study of Japanese railway holding companies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 102-110.
    10. Pittman, Russell, 2007. "Options for Restructuring the State-Owned Monopoly Railway," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 179-198, January.
    11. Fumitoshi Mizutani & Hideo Kozumi & Noriaki Matsushima, 2009. "Does yardstick regulation really work? Empirical evidence from Japan’s rail industry," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 308-323, December.
    12. Merkert, Rico & Nash, Chris A., 2013. "Investigating European railway managers’ perception of transaction costs at the train operation/infrastructure interface," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 14-25.
    13. Pittman, Russell, 2011. "Risk-averse restructuring of freight railways in China," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 152-160.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mizutani, Fumitoshi, 2020. "A comparison of vertical structural types in the railway industry: A simple mathematical explanation model," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Nakamura, Eri & Sakai, Hiroki & Shoji, Kenichi, 2018. "Managerial transfers to reduce transaction costs among affiliated firms: Case study of Japanese railway holding companies," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 102-110.
    3. Huang, Wencheng & Zhang, Yue & Shuai, Bin & Xu, Minhao & Xiao, Wei & Zhang, Rui & Xu, Yifei, 2019. "China railway industry reform evolution approach: Based on the Vertical Separation Model," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 546-556.
    4. Mizutani, Fumitoshi & Uranishi, Shuji, 2020. "An analysis of the inter-effect of structural reforms and rail mode share," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Nash, Chris A. & Smith, Andrew S.J. & van de Velde, Didier & Mizutani, Fumitoshi & Uranishi, Shuji, 2014. "Structural reforms in the railways: Incentive misalignment and cost implications," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 16-23.
    6. José A. Gómez-Ibáñez, 2016. "Open Access to Infrastructure Networks: The Experience of Railroads," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 49(2), pages 311-345, September.
    7. Merkert, Rico & Hensher, David A., 2014. "Open access for railways and transaction cost economics – Management perspectives of Australia's rail companies," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 227-236.
    8. Matthias Finger & Pierre Messulam (ed.), 2015. "Rail Economics, Policy and Regulation in Europe," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15711.
    9. Pittman, Russell, 2016. "Reforming and Restructuring Ukrzaliznytsia: A Crucial Task for Ukrainian Reformers," MPRA Paper 76028, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Matthias Aistleitner & Christian Grimm & Jakob Kapeller, 2018. "Auftragsvergabe, Leistungsqualitaet und Kostenintensitaet im Schienenpersonenverkehr. Eine internationale Perspektive," ICAE Working Papers 86, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    11. Tomeš, Zdeněk, 2017. "Do European reforms increase modal shares of railways?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 143-151.
    12. Cui, Shana & Pittman, Russell & Zhao, Jian, 2018. "Restructuring the Chinese Freight Railway: Two Scenarios," MPRA Paper 88407, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Alexandersson , Gunnar & Hultén, Staffan & Nilsson, Jan-Eric & Pyddoke, Roger, 2012. "The liberalization of railway passenger transport in Sweden – Outstanding regulatory challenges," Working papers in Transport Economics 2012:5, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    14. Zong, Yueqi & Wu, Jianhong & Yu, Kemei & Yang, Xutao, 2023. "Efficiency benchmarking and its determinants in high-speed railways: Reference for China," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    15. Beria, Paolo & Quinet, Emile & de Rus, Gines & Schulz, Carola, 2012. "A comparison of rail liberalisation levels across four European countries," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 110-120.
    16. Charanwanitwong, Thanaphon & Fraszczyk, Anna, 2018. "Rail liberalisation in Europe and lessons for Thailand: Policy makers vs. academic views," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 421-440.
    17. Zhang, Yundi & Hu, Rong & Chen, Ruotian & Cai, Dong-ling & Jiang, Changmin, 2024. "Competition in cargo and passenger between high-speed rail and airlines—considering the vertical structure of transportation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 120-133.
    18. Pittman Russell, 2020. "On the Economics of Restructuring World Railways, with a Focus on Russia," Man and the Economy, De Gruyter, vol. 7(2), pages 1-25, December.
    19. Preston, John & Robins, Dawn, 2013. "Evaluating the long term impacts of transport policy: The case of passenger rail privatisation," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 14-20.
    20. Cui, Shana & Besanko, David, 2016. "Horizontal versus vertical separation in railway networks: Implications for network quality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 78-80.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:66:y:2020:i:c:s0957178720300941. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/utilities-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.