Effects of timetable related service quality on rail demand

Phill Wheat and Mark Wardman

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2017, vol. 95, issue C, 96-108

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the suitability of and component weightings within the composite index Generalised Journey Time (GJT). GJT is used to model rail demand in Britain and is composed of station-to-station journey time, service headway and a penalty for the need to change trains. We analyse a large data set of rail ticket sales data to explore three features of GJT. The first is to determine how GJT impacts on rail demand, including interactions with distance and value for money and exploring the effects of the size and sign of the change in GJT, distinguishing between short run and long run effects. The new evidence obtained was important given concerns over the elasticities previously recommended for use in the rail industry in Britain. Secondly, we provide evidence as to whether the weights associated with headway and interchange in GJT are appropriate. Our analysis indicates that more influence should be attached to interchange. Finally, the rail industry in Britain’s approach of using GJT and fare is quite unique. We have tested how it compares with the more traditional approach of generalised cost and with the specification of separate elasticities to the component parts of GJT. This indicates that the GJT approach is preferable to the more conventional approach although there would seem to be value in further pursuing separate elasticities to the components of GJT.

Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856416303536
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:transa:v:95:y:2017:i:c:p:96-108

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2016.11.009

Access Statistics for this article

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice is currently edited by John (J.M.) Rose

More articles in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().