Reappraisal of the regulation of NSB. Documentation Report

NSB is the state-owned Norwegian railroad company. The regulatory system for NSB that was introduced in 1990, was a step forward, but rail as a mode has continued to loose ground, and NSB’s results 1990-1995 has been less than satisfactory. Cost benefit analyses of the structure of services must be carried out on a regular basis to determine the socially efficient provision of rail services. The procurement of commercially unviable services should be made in a way that places responibility for cost reductions firmly in the hands of NSB. Urban rail services should be analysed separately. The Institute of Transport Economics has been commissioned by The Department of Transport to evaluate the regulatory system of 1990-1995. The recent separation of services and track in a publicly owned limited company and a rail administration is not treated in this report.