University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Recovering Capital Expenditures: The Railroad Industry Paradox
Abstract
dc:descriptionThis research combines engineering, economic, and financial methods and makes contributions in each area. Railroad maintenance strategies that rely more heavily on capital investment are more cost effective. Infrastructure capital spending is caused by current and future output, and is therefore a short run marginal cost. Railroad marginal cost formulae appear to substantially underestimate the true incremental nature of ongoing capital expenditures. Regulatory average variable cost formulae do not incorporate variable capital expenditures suggesting that Surface Transportation Board estimates of revenue to variable cost are overstated, subjecting a larger share of rail traffic to potential economic regulation than would otherwise occur.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Ph.D.
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Dissertation
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Civil Engineering
- Grantor
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Year dc:date
- 2015
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Grimes, George Avery
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Christopher P.L.Barkan
Subjects
dc:subject × 1Rights
- Language dc:language
- eng
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Identifier
- (MiAaPQ)AAI3160889
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/83251