This study explores the possibility of an automated freight transport system that replaces long-distance lorries on Tomei Expressways, arterial motorways connecting Tokyo and Osaka. A conceptual design of the system is done on such components as wagons, tracks, transfer points and control systems. Capital and operation/maintenance costs are estimated and social gains from lowered transportation cost and reduced environmental externalities are evaluated. The result is favourable to the implementation of the system: the system would deliver high social returns, by offering cheaper alternative to freight operators, and greatly reducing losses from air pollution and traffic accidents.

Application of cost benefit analysis for infrastructure investment is discussed against the request to the efficiency improvement of infrastructure investment. But there are a few studies that evaluated the significance of port investment from the viewpoint of national/regional economies.

In this study, a methodology for evaluation of port investment is constructed considering various factors. This evaluation methodology is applied not only to evaluate the effects for agency concerned with the port but also the effects to regional and national economies.

Furthermore, necessity of the improvement of the international container port with large depth is discussed based on case study analysis.

This study evaluates the effect of the past investment for commuter transport in Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The evaluation focuses on the track extension of five main trunk lines of the Japan National Railway. The user benefit and increase of profit (deficit) of the investment are estimated by the comparison of the actual situation (as“with”case) with the situation without the investment (as“without”case). The result shows that the user benefit and the increase of profit of the railway company by the investment are very large.

Measures of technical control by public sectors are essentially required upon transport industries from various viewpoints, such as environmental protection, securing safety, and consumer protection. However, these measures must be efficient and effective enough so that they would not hamper vigorous and creative activities of private firms. This paper systematically deals with the current technical control system in railways in UK which was completely revised after the drastic organizational restructuring held in 1994, and discusses the basic way of thinking laying under their institutional system. The author also suggests the desirable direction of improvement in Japanese system of technical control in railways.

This paper compares the modal split of passenger transport between German and Japanese cities. The characteristic of the modal sprit in Japan is as follows : (1) as a whole, the share of automatic private transport (MIV) has increased, while those of public transport (ÖPNV) and foot have decreased. (2) the share of ÖPNV is higher in large cities and that of MIV is higher in other cites. (3) the share of MIV on holidays is higher than on weekdays. The modal split of German is similar to that of Japan. The share of ÖPNV is correlated with population and the correlation in Japan is stronger than in Germany.