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Efficiency, productivity and returns to scale in ports: a comparison of data envelopment analysis and econometric estimation with application to Caribbean Small Island Developing States (2018)
Journal Article
Julien, S., Cowie, J., & Monios, J. (2020). Efficiency, productivity and returns to scale in ports: a comparison of data envelopment analysis and econometric estimation with application to Caribbean Small Island Developing States. Maritime Economics and Logistics, 22(2), 239-264. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41278-018-0115-y

This paper investigates the evolutionary technical efficiency and productivity of ports in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The focus is primarily on Caribbean SIDS, benchmarked against two comparator groups: major top ports and ports in other... Read More about Efficiency, productivity and returns to scale in ports: a comparison of data envelopment analysis and econometric estimation with application to Caribbean Small Island Developing States.

The bus industry in Scotland – just a bunch of profiteering opportunists? (2018)
Presentation / Conference
Cowie, J. (2018, May). The bus industry in Scotland – just a bunch of profiteering opportunists?. Paper presented at Scottish Transport Applications and Research (STAR) 2018

The Transport Act 1985 privatised and deregulated the bus industry in Great Britain outside of London, with the intention of creating a competitive industry that would compete for patronage through the economic principles of contestability and consum... Read More about The bus industry in Scotland – just a bunch of profiteering opportunists?.

Long term productivity gains in the privatised British passenger rail industry – A case study of Malmquist productivity index measurements (2018)
Journal Article
Cowie, J. (2018). Long term productivity gains in the privatised British passenger rail industry – A case study of Malmquist productivity index measurements. Research in Transportation Business and Management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2018.01.001

This paper assesses long term productivity in the privatised British passenger rail industry using a Malmquist productivity index (MPI) generated using three different efficiency assessment methods, namely data envelopment analysis (DEA), corrected o... Read More about Long term productivity gains in the privatised British passenger rail industry – A case study of Malmquist productivity index measurements.

Britain’s railways were nationalised 70 years ago – let’s not do it again (2018)
Other
Cowie, J. (2018). Britain’s railways were nationalised 70 years ago – let’s not do it again

It is 70 years since the era of public rail ownership began in Great Britain. The British Transport Commission formally took control of the operation and planning of the whole network, having been brought into existence by Clement Attlee’s Labour gov... Read More about Britain’s railways were nationalised 70 years ago – let’s not do it again.

Contract Re-Award and Consumer Sovereignty, the case of British Rail Privatisation. (2017)
Presentation / Conference
Cowie, J. (2017, August). Contract Re-Award and Consumer Sovereignty, the case of British Rail Privatisation. Paper presented at Competition and Ownership in Land Based Public Transport (Thredbo 15), Stockholm

The Railways Act 1993 divided and sold off the state owned British Rail in its entirety and introduced competitive tender into the industry. This paper reviews the industry over the period 2000 to 2015 to determine firstly if TOCs have produced outc... Read More about Contract Re-Award and Consumer Sovereignty, the case of British Rail Privatisation..

Does rail freight market liberalisation lead to market entry? A case study of the British privatisation experience (2014)
Journal Article
Cowie, J. (2015). Does rail freight market liberalisation lead to market entry? A case study of the British privatisation experience. Research in Transportation Business and Management, 14, 4-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2014.10.004

This paper considers developments since privatisation in the British rail freight market from both general and production supply side perspectives. It also reviews the literature relating to the US railroad partial deregulation in order to identify t... Read More about Does rail freight market liberalisation lead to market entry? A case study of the British privatisation experience.

Performance, profit and consumer sovereignty in the English deregulated bus market. (2014)
Journal Article
Cowie, J. (2014). Performance, profit and consumer sovereignty in the English deregulated bus market. Research in Transportation Economics, 48, 255-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.retrec.2014.09.049

The pure free market will theoretically result in economic efficiency being achieved. At the heart of this proposition is the idea of consumer sovereignty, where producers that best meet the material wants of consumers will be the most successful. Wi... Read More about Performance, profit and consumer sovereignty in the English deregulated bus market..

Reregulating the deregulated, a case study of the Scottish Bus market. (2014)
Presentation / Conference
Cowie, J. (2014, January). Reregulating the deregulated, a case study of the Scottish Bus market. Paper presented at 46th Universities Transport Studies Group Conference

Much research surrounds the move from publicly owned and operated bus markets to publicly controlled and privately operated markets, or in the case of Great Britain, a fully deregulated market. Little research however exists concerning the counter mo... Read More about Reregulating the deregulated, a case study of the Scottish Bus market..

A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs - are airlines any different? (2012)
Journal Article
Merkert, R., & Cowie, J. (2012). A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs - are airlines any different?. Journal of Air Transport Management, 22, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.01.002

This paper applies a top-down approach to transaction cost measurement to identify the size of the transaction sector within types of transport firms in Britain, including rail and bus operating firms but also and importantly of airlines. Whilst this... Read More about A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs - are airlines any different?.

Contestability in bus markets – evidence from the British de-regulated market (2012)
Journal Article
Cowie, J. (2012). Contestability in bus markets – evidence from the British de-regulated market. Applied Economics, 44, 4777-4785. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2011.564146

Following the 1985 Transport Act in Great Britain, reforms in the provision of bus services continue across Europe and other parts of the world to this day. The British experience, however, remains a key point of study in informing these continuing d... Read More about Contestability in bus markets – evidence from the British de-regulated market.

An assessment of cost management regimes in British rail infrastructure provision. (2012)
Journal Article
Cowie, J., & Loynes, S. (2012). An assessment of cost management regimes in British rail infrastructure provision. Transportation, 39, 1281-1299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-012-9389-6

Over the last decade, British railway engineering efficiency has come under close scrutiny, with general perceptions of massive maintenance cost escalations and a general lack of control over these costs. This is exemplified by headline figures such... Read More about An assessment of cost management regimes in British rail infrastructure provision..

The cost of remote transport services in the single European market — The case of the Scottish Western Isles ferries (2012)
Journal Article
Cowie, J. (2012). The cost of remote transport services in the single European market — The case of the Scottish Western Isles ferries. Research in Transportation Business and Management, 4, 90-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2012.06.014

This paper concerns the reform of ferry services to the islands and peninsulas off the west coast of Scotland (known collectively as the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services), and the impact this has had on the economic performance of the operator. Refo... Read More about The cost of remote transport services in the single European market — The case of the Scottish Western Isles ferries.

X-Inefficiency in British railway engineering. (2010)
Presentation / Conference
Cowie, J. (2010, July). X-Inefficiency in British railway engineering. Paper presented at World Association of Transportation Research (WCTR),

Over the last decade, British railway engineering has come under increased scrutiny, with general perceptions of massive maintenance cost escalations and a general lack of control over these costs. Very little however has appeared in the academic lit... Read More about X-Inefficiency in British railway engineering..

Productivity and performance in the British rail freight industry since privatisation. (2010)
Presentation / Conference
Cowie, J. (2010, July). Productivity and performance in the British rail freight industry since privatisation. Paper presented at World Association of Transportation Research (WCTR),

This paper briefly outlines the main changes brought about by the Railways Act 1993 with regard to the rail freight sector and then examines development of the sector since that time. It finds that although rail freight levels have increased, these i... Read More about Productivity and performance in the British rail freight industry since privatisation..