Railway company
Encyclopedia
A railway company or railroad company is an entity
that operates a railroad track and/or train
s. Such a company can either be private or public. Some railway companies operate both the trains and the track, while particularly in European Union
ownership of track and train operation is separated in different companies.
(the world's largest rail company). Other countries have many different, sometimes competing, railway companies that operate each their own lines, particularly in the United States
and Canada
.
In Europe, the EU requires its members to split the railway companies into a number of different companies. Usually public owned companies own the track and other public companies (sometimes owned by regional governments) own the train cars. Public service obligation
s or franchising
is then used to determine the right to operate the line for a limited time period, with multiple private companies bid
ding for the privilege to operate. Other companies offer trackside and rolling stock maintenance.
Entity
An entity is something that has a distinct, separate existence, although it need not be a material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an entity is animate.An entity could be viewed as a set...
that operates a railroad track and/or train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s. Such a company can either be private or public. Some railway companies operate both the trains and the track, while particularly in European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
ownership of track and train operation is separated in different companies.
Structure
Many countries have a national railway company that owns all track and operates all trains in the country, for instance the Russian RailwaysRussian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
(the world's largest rail company). Other countries have many different, sometimes competing, railway companies that operate each their own lines, particularly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In Europe, the EU requires its members to split the railway companies into a number of different companies. Usually public owned companies own the track and other public companies (sometimes owned by regional governments) own the train cars. Public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
s or franchising
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
is then used to determine the right to operate the line for a limited time period, with multiple private companies bid
BID
Bid may refer to:*Bidding, making a price offer in an auction, stock exchange, or card games*Bid , a British home shopping channel...
ding for the privilege to operate. Other companies offer trackside and rolling stock maintenance.
See also
- Train operating companyTrain operating companyThe term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
- List of railway companies
- Rail transport by countryRail transport by countryThis page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country.Other indexes available include:*List of railway companies by country*List of countries by rail transport network size*Rail usage statistics by country...