The impact of governance development models on urban rail efficiency

Influenced by the twin forces of globalization and urbanization, many cities are developing urban rail transit systems (URTS). The policies and ownership structures within which they are developed have a profound impact upon their efficiency. This paper analyzes the relationship between ownership structure and technical efficiency through the application of data envelopment analysis (DEA). A comparative analysis of 15 URTS reveals that, among the different available governance development models, privatization has a direct and positive bearing upon enhancing efficiency.