Frontier News
- UK Competition Commission to remove regulations on electrical goods retail01.02.2012.
- Comprehensive report on the impact of climate change launched26.01.2012.
- Better accounting for infrastructure interdependency could contribute to growth 25.01.2012.
- Financial services watchdog to protect ‘irrational’ customers in UK25.01.2012.
- Frontier ranks first in Europe to work for20.01.2012.
- Mobile shopping on the rise19.01.2012.
- Frontier discussion event on future of retail banking10.01.2012.
- Competition Commission sets out future destination for bus market20.12.2011.
- Australian Competition Commission lifts exemptions on wholesale voice services19.12.2011.
- Frontier reports on ‘fair and reasonable’ solar feed-in tariffs 19.12.2011.
Taking the strain - Frontier Economics bulletin
Frontier's latest bulletin looks at the future of rail franchises in the UK. The current rail franchise system in the UK has protected many franchisees from falling revenues during the recession but at considerable cost to the taxpayer, and also blunting the franchisees’ incentive to invest.
The new Government has ordered a review over the summer, postponing three imminent rail franchise competitions until late 2010. This bulletin analyses what is at stake in the review. Learning from the design of incentive mechanisms in transport and other regulated industries could let UK rail franchises achieve a balance that improves services and cuts subsidies, and provide a model for economic risk-sharing with applications well beyond the rail industry.
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