Measuring Productivity of Korean Railways following the Railway Restructuring

초록

The critical factors which have changed the history of Korean railway are railway restructuring and the introduction of high-speed trains. According to the Railway Industry Development Basics Act, which was enacted in 2003, the goal of railway restructuring was to enhance the competitiveness of the railway industry. It focused on improving efficiency and increasing public interest by laying the foundation for development, thereby making a commitment to developing the nation’s economy. It’s been 6 years since railway restructuring was first launched, and now it’s time to determine whether it has improved the competitiveness and efficiency of the Korean railroad system. To that end, it is necessary to evaluate whether overall railway operation is satisfactory, which routes have seen improvements in productivity, and which routes needs to be improved. An evaluation of the variations in Korean railway productivity during the period from 1990 to 2007 was carried out over 18 main lines throughout the nation using the Malmquist Productivity Index. In this way, we were able to create a strategy for improving productivity.