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Murphy, Since this is your thread, can I suggest you edit the topic title to the MSOAT? Thanks. In the meantime, I am hoping someone with subcription access to the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy can provide us some of the more salient conclusions of John Bitzan's rail competition study. I have my doubts about that study taking on the more evolved aspects of the open access debate that have found their way into this forum, such as: 1. Cost "equalization" of ROW construction and maintenance costs among all the transport modes. Most rail studies seem to lump all rail associated costs into the "cost of capital" category, making it difficult to ascertain what percentage is soley due to track construction and maintenance. 2. Somewhat related - how the use of property tax exemptions and/or maintenance tax credits for the infrastructure would affect the entire cost structure of railroads. 3. The apportioned costs of track usage on a speed x axle weight basis. From what I've found, there are studies that analyze speed affects on track wear, and studies that analyze how axle weights affect track wear, but not a combination study. For an open access analysis, the hypothesis that needs to be tested is the aspect of maximizing slot utilization vs maximizing load factor, and how both can be sythesized into the most optimal operation. 4. I'm still waiting for the evidence that the power industry is behind the open access conspiracy. Here all this time I thought it was comprehensively relegated to captive rail shippers. 5. Speaking of conspiracies, isn't it logical to assume that if the railroad industry had a bunch of studies that showed open access won't work, they would want to publicize these studies rather than keeping them secret?
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