Efficiency and effectiveness in railway performance using a multi-activity network DEA model

This paper provides a multi-activity network data envelopment analysis model that represents both production and consumption technologies in a unified framework. The model is applied to simultaneously estimate passenger and freight technical efficiency, service effectiveness, and technical effectiveness for 20 selected railways for the year 2002. The results show that these measures differ significantly. Since the multi-activity network data envelopment analysis models the reality of railways' operations, one can gain further insights from the estimated results and thus propose strategies for improving operational performance. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.