Zpoplatnění železniční dopravní cesty v evropských zemích

Track access charging in selected European countries is a relevant issue particularly for the freight transport segment given the established prioritisation of traffic organisation. The topic is broadly related to the position of rail within the European transport system, the economics of network industries and infrastructure access regulation. The problem addressed by this thesis lay in the differences and structuring of charging models among individual countries and in their significance for the competitiveness of rail freight transport, especially in the case of Czech Republic as a transit country. The aim of the thesis was to analyse and comparatively evaluate approaches to railway track access charging in selected European countries, identify the main differences in the level and design of charges, assess the factors influencing these differences and subsequently formulate recommendations for possible adjustments to the charging system in Czechia. The theoretical section introduced the principles and approaches to financing and charging railway infrastructure, the EU legislative framework and methods for comparing charge levels. The analytic section was based on case studies of Czechia, Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Slovakia. Comparative analysis was conducted using the model train method on representative routes, conversion to an unit indicator and an examination of the structure of charging components. The sources consisted of secondary data from infrastructure managers such as network statements including their annexes and extensive infrastructure maps and applications. It was found that the differences among the countries examined were not determined solely by the basic rate per train-kilometre, but primarily by the charging structure, the range of included components, and the way surcharges, coefficients, and freight segment factors were applied. The results showed that the Czech charging model appears to create higher costs for rail operators in comparison with most of the countries examined. The thesis resulted in an identification of transferable foreign practices and their recommendation with the prospect of greater transparency, competitiveness of czech rail freight transport segment and the reflection of the strategic significance of railway mode in the charging system.