Abstract
The Taiwan high speed rail (HSR) system is anticipated to begin operation in 2007. As expected, when the HSR joins the intercity transport market, the conventional rail (CR) in Taiwan will receive severe competition from HSR, particularly for medium- and long-distance trips. The objective of this paper is to develop an intercity mode choice model that can be used to evaluate the impact of changes in CR services in response to the new HSR. Stated preference techniques and discrete choice models were employed to identify important variables influencing intercity passenger choice of the HSR, CR and other intercity modes. The empirical results indicate that travelers are more sensitive to the changes in travel cost than in travel time. The potential market for CR in the medium- and long-distance ranges is non-business travel. A declining distance-based fare structure is particularly useful to attract non-business travelers.
