Raquel Espino

Analyzing Competition between the High Speed Train and Alternative Modes. The Case of the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona Corridor

Abstract While there have been many studies of urban travel demand, little attention has been paid to the analysis of inter-urban rail travel demand. Studies of inter-urban rail demand usually focus on assessment through the conventional cost benefit analysis of this type of investments, in which the emphasis is on the cost side. However, the analysis of the potential benefits, bearing in mind the intermodal competition, is usually neglected. This paper analyzes the potential competition of the high speed train (HST) with the main competing modes on the Madrid-Barcelona route, where a new HST infrastructure has been recently built. The analysis is based on the estimation of disaggregated Nested Logit models using information provided by travellers in the main corridors: Madrid-Zaragoza and Madrid-Barcelona. The utility specification considers the effect of the main level-of-service attributes as well as some latent variables on modal choice. We analyze demand response to various policy scenarios that consider the potential competition between HST and other modes as well as the willingness to pay for improved levels of service. The results highlight the low level of competition that the HST could exert over air transport services in Madrid-Barcelona corridor, showing that policy makers may have been very optimistic about the figures of traffic diversion from air that could be attained.

Willingness to Pay for Airline Service Quality

Abstract This paper looks at estimated valuations of some service‐quality attributes in an airline choice context using stated preferences methods. The analysis is based on information obtained in the most important route connecting the Canary Islands with the Iberian Peninsula: Gran Canaria–Madrid, and tries to contribute to the body of knowledge in this area, given the relatively few studies of the monetary valuations of air travel regarding level‐of‐service attributes. A feature of this analysis is the examination of variations in values according to different characteristics of the service, such as price, penalties for changes in the ticket, legroom, food, etc.; the currently experienced level of the attribute, and various socio‐economic factors that affect the characteristics of the trip and passengers. In addition, the important issue of added value regarding different attributes is addressed, obtaining the willingness‐to‐pay for different improvements of service quality. A further analysis is made about how taste heterogeneity (market segments) affects these values. Results from the stated preference experiment and the market value of some comparable service are also compared. Finally, the paper brings together evidence from other studies and compares them with the findings obtained herein.

Using Stated Preferences to Analyze the Service Quality of Public Transport

ABSTRACT In this article we use discrete choice experiments to analyze service quality of public transport bus services in Gran Canaria, Spain. Discrete choice experiments are created to estimate travellers’ preferences and to obtain a measure of the global service quality. The modeling strategy considers the combination of two data sets, the analysis of the inertia effect as well as the correlation among responses of the same individual. Results suggest the existence of behavioral differences for urban and interurban passengers, especially in their perception of certain attributes as well as in the willingness to pay for improving the level of service.

Efficient Versus Non-efficient Stated Choice Designs: A Comparison in a Mode Choice Context

This paper evaluates efficiency gains produced by efficient designs to analyze Stated Choice (SC) data. Based on an empirical experiment, conducted in the context of the choice between taking the plane or the new high speed train on the Madrid-Barcelona route, we compare the performance of this design with that of the efficient design obtained through minimization of the D-error, considering different modelling strategies. The results of the analysis demonstrate that substantial gains in the significance level of the parameter estimates could have been attained if the efficient design had been used to analyze SC data.