Scale economies in United States rail transit systems

Ian Savage

doi:10.1016/S0965-8564(97)00003-7

Scale economies in United States rail transit systems

Ian Savage^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

A three-staged least squares translog cost function is estimated for 13 heavy-rail and nine light-rail United States urban mass transit systems for the period 1985-1991. Firm output is taken to be endogenous. Large economies of density are found in operating costs. These economies become even more substantial when the cost of way and structure maintenance and capital costs are incorporated. However, there are constant returns to system size in short-run variable costs.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	459-473
Number of pages	15
Journal	Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
Volume	31
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0965-8564(97)00003-7
State	Published - Nov 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Civil and Structural Engineering
Transportation
Management Science and Operations Research

Access to Document

10.1016/S0965-8564(97)00003-7

Cite this

@article{6772746029eb4054afa9449caf977097,

title = "Scale economies in United States rail transit systems",

abstract = "A three-staged least squares translog cost function is estimated for 13 heavy-rail and nine light-rail United States urban mass transit systems for the period 1985-1991. Firm output is taken to be endogenous. Large economies of density are found in operating costs. These economies become even more substantial when the cost of way and structure maintenance and capital costs are incorporated. However, there are constant returns to system size in short-run variable costs.",

author = "Ian Savage",

year = "1997",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/S0965-8564(97)00003-7",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "31",

pages = "459--473",

journal = "Transportation Research, Part A: Policy and Practice",

issn = "0965-8564",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Scale economies in United States rail transit systems

AU - Savage, Ian

PY - 1997/11

Y1 - 1997/11

N2 - A three-staged least squares translog cost function is estimated for 13 heavy-rail and nine light-rail United States urban mass transit systems for the period 1985-1991. Firm output is taken to be endogenous. Large economies of density are found in operating costs. These economies become even more substantial when the cost of way and structure maintenance and capital costs are incorporated. However, there are constant returns to system size in short-run variable costs.

AB - A three-staged least squares translog cost function is estimated for 13 heavy-rail and nine light-rail United States urban mass transit systems for the period 1985-1991. Firm output is taken to be endogenous. Large economies of density are found in operating costs. These economies become even more substantial when the cost of way and structure maintenance and capital costs are incorporated. However, there are constant returns to system size in short-run variable costs.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031277565&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0031277565&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/S0965-8564(97)00003-7

DO - 10.1016/S0965-8564(97)00003-7

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0031277565

SN - 0965-8564

VL - 31

SP - 459

EP - 473

JO - Transportation Research, Part A: Policy and Practice

JF - Transportation Research, Part A: Policy and Practice

IS - 6

ER -

Scale economies in United States rail transit systems

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this