Railway (De)Regulation: A European Efficiency Comparison

We estimate the effects of reforms on railroad efficiency in Europe by using a new panel data set that covers most EU countries over a period of more than 20 years. A production frontier model finds that efficiency increases when reforms such as third-party network access, introduction of an independent regulator, and vertical separation are implemented. However, the reform effects depend on sequencing: introduction of multiple reforms in a package has negative effects, while sequential reforms improve efficiency. We also show that our results are robust against potential problems of endogeneity.