This book is one of the seven chapters of the book Explotación comercial y operación de servicios de transporte de viajeros por ferrocarril (Commercial operation and operation of passenger rail transport services). In this edition (number 8) it adopts a new updated denomination adapted to the new contents, addressing a matter of the utmost importance, not only for the decisions regarding investment in infrastructures but also for the design and planning of transport services supply. The book focuses on the generalised cost model based on its logit formulation, which makes it possible to design the supply and find out about the effects of its variations on the demand and income.

The origin of this book lies in another one, Operación de trenes de viajeros. Claves para la gestión avanzada del ferrocarril (Operation of passenger trains. Keys to advanced management of the railway), book published by the author together with Alberto Cillero and Pilar Jericó in March 1998, and which was edited by Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (Spanish Railways Foundation) as part of the activities developed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Spanish railway. The new knowledge and the fast development of passenger services in Spain, as well as of Renfe’s new commercial and supply policies, recommended that a new publication gathering the latest experiences and data available was written.