The Impact of Separation between Infrastructure Management and Transport Operations on the EU Railway Sector

Study 16-05-2011

This note reviews the experience of vertical separation in the European railway sector. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of vertical separation as well as its economic, operational, safety and user impacts. Different approaches to vertical separation have produced different results, some having a substantial positive impact in terms of the competitive development of the railways, but others less so. This note sets out the results of a comparative analysis, drawing on a range of source material.