The basic objectives of the Project are to present the different options for the opening to competition of intercity railway passenger services in Spain, to create a series of tools to aid decision-making, and to establish the appropriate regulatory developments to ensure that the opening to competition is effective and beneficial for society. OPTIRED does not offer a solution but instead a range of options and tools to assist decisionmakers. The performance of the Task has focused on the provision of medium and long-distance intercity passenger services, without considering other forms of urban or metropolitan mobility.

 

The starting point of the research was an in-depth analysis of the state of the art from various perspectives. Analysis of the state of the art of the relevant legal aspects focused on railway regulation at the domestic and European levels, as well as the interrelations with the regulation of other modes of transport. This was followed by a detailed study of the state of the art of the economic regulation of the railway, together with a comparative analysis of the most signi cant experiences of railway passenger market liberalization in Europe. Finally, attention was paid to the state of the art of the theoretical analysis of issues relating to railway competition modelling tools.