This policy note describes the research into the congestion costs that Railtrack (the owner and manager of the railway infrastructure in the UK) faces in operating additional trains on the rail network. This work was undertaken as part of the first periodic review of Railtrack's access charges. This is the first time that such a detailed analysis of the relationship between capacity utilisation and train performance has been undertaken on a rail network. The paper defines capacity utilisation and identifies the key drivers of congestion costs: geography, time/day of operation, relative speed and flex. The results of the congestion cost research has been reflected in the introduction of a new track access charge, known as the capacity charge. (Author/publisher).
Samenvatting