Expansion of regulated access to railway infrastructure in North America: Implications from practices and recent experiences with regulated access overseas

This paper is concerned with the implications of an expansion of regulated access to railway infrastructure in Canada and the US to serve freight traffic. The methodology involves a general review of existing literature, practices and experiences.It begins with a profile of the rail industries in North America, with a focus on the current practices of regulated access and recent pressures for their expansion.International practice and recent experiences with competition and regulated access to railways will then be reviewed in respect of the UK, continental Europe and Australia. This will involve the circumstances faced by countries outside North America, the extent to which rail reform in other countries was influenced by other network industries, the need for privatization, and the broad categories of rail industry structure that have emerged.In conclusion, some lessons will be drawn for policy makers in Canada and the US, including identifying the need for further research in outstanding areas of concern.