Tendering rail: What can Austria learn from European experiences?

The study was conducted on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology from April to July 2012. The objective of the project was to establish a factual basis for the discussion of tendering in the rail passenger services. This included an analysis of country-specific tendering experiences, an illustration/comparison of models for tendering, an identification of tendering strategies, a review of which models or system elements could be relevant for Austria, and “lessons learned”.

Three major questions were considered: Can tenders result in an improvement in supply? Are tenders a suitable means to reduce passenger rail transport costs? Do tendering expenses stand in a reasonable proportion to the achievable improvements in supply?