Regional Railways Transport—Effectiveness of the Regional Railway Line

Abstract

Regional railway transport is one of the important aspects that on the one hand contributes to the economic development of a region, but on the other hand can reduce the quality of life with a disproportionate use of transport modes, mainly in larger agglomerations. In the view of society, regional transport is an important contribution to improving the quality of life of the citizens in the region, as well as its competitiveness and the optimal use of public resources. This paper examines regional railway transport in the Slovak Republic from the different indicators (transport performances, operators, regional railway line length, financing). It aims to understand the factors which influence the economic and social efficiency of regional railway transport. The research was focused on a regional railway line because on the main railway line the costs of the infrastructure for regional and other railway transport cannot be separated. The case study was performed in the Žilina region in which districts with different standards of living are located. The research shows interesting results. The regional railway line which is located in the region with a lower standard of living showed the best utilisation and the lowest loss. We suggest a synergy aspect for operating a regional railway line which takes into account the economic and social factors and interrelationships among subjects participating in the rendition of regional railway transport services.