Title: The process of liberalising the rail freight transport markets in the EU: The case of Hungary

Authors: Szekely Bulcsu

Addresses: Faculty of Technology Management, Department of Industrial Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Kouvola Research Unit, Prikaatintie 9, FIN-45100, Kouvola, Finland

Abstract: This paper reveals the quality and type of market entry problems and the types of market entry strategies onto the rail freight transport markets in the EU, and in Hungary, in particular. Significant market entry problems in the EU are inadequate investments, bureaucracy, and unfavourable settings of market structure. Empirical examination shows that but extensive Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity and the cumulative negative effects may set competition itself to be a market entry barrier. These quality problems are of system dynamical by nature, related to efficiency of market regulations. Vertical integration is the most used market entry strategy in Hungary.

Keywords: rail freight transport; service quality; systems view; market entry barriers; EU; European Union; Hungary; market liberalisation; market entry strategies; mergers; acquisitions; M&A; vertical integration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2011.040061

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2011 Vol.9 No.1, pp.89 - 107

Published online: 06 May 2015 *

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