Metro station operating costs: an econometric analysis

This article develops an econometric analysis of metro station operating cost to identifyfactors that create variation in cost efficiency. Stations operating cost can be classifiedamong the semifixed costs that a metro faces in the sense that they do not varyproportionately with metro output. They may therefore be important in determiningthe degree of returns to density. This article seeks to provide an improved understandingof some of the major factors driving these costs. Empirical results show that strongsystem-specific influences impact costs but over and above these we detect positiveassociations from a range of station characteristics, including the length of passageways,number of platforms, peak-level service frequency, interchange demand, andthe provision of toilet facilities. In addition, we find that the presence of air-conditioninghas a substantial effect in increasing expected station operating cost by as muchas 40 percent.