Analýza osobní železniční dopravy v České republice od roku 2003 do současnosti

The goal of this thesis is to analyze the market of public railway transport in Czech Republic from the point of view of market model and configuration during the period from 2003 to this day. In 2003, Czech Railways was estabilished as a joint-stock company; at the same time Railway Infrastructure Administration was estabilished as a state-owned company. The theoretical part of this thesis defines key economical concepts related to the market structure of public railway transport and to the economical policies of Czech Republic. The main focus are various forms of regulation and imperfect comptetition. The next section serves as a historical overview of railway construction and railway transport in the 19th and the 20th century. This section also introduces the reader to institutions that play vital role in railway transport and that have impact on its development; the reader is also introduced to strategical documents that propose changes and improvements to railway transport and that take into account future development of railway transport in the Czech Republic as well as the European Union. The practical part of this thesis presents an analysis of the development of railway transport in recent years following its liberalization in the Czech Republic. In the last decade we have seen a rise in the number of privately owned companies that praticipate in tenders by Ministry of Transport and that are interested in providing transportation services in general. We already see a competition between Czech Railways JSC, LEO Express JSC and RegioJet JSC on the main railway route between Prague and Ostrava. This section also explains the distrubution of state aid and the way public railway transport is being ordered. This section also contains a detailed description of the finacial situation of Czech Railways JSC which is currently the most dominant provider of railway transport in the Czech Republic.