O objetivo desta tese é discutir, sob a ótica da multimodalidade, os impactos na economia brasileira decorrentes da redução de custos de transportes. Para atingir este objetivo, um modelo inter-regional de equilíbrio geral computável denominado BR-Transport foi implementado, inspirado na teoria da escola australiana. Os dados calibrados para o modelo foram desagregados conforme quatro modais de transporte: rodoviário, ferroviário, hidroviário e dutoviário. Para a desagregação da atividade de transporte e estimação das elasticidades de substituição preço cruzado, usou-se a base de dados dos Planos Nacionais de Logística e Transportes do Brasil, a qual dispõe de informações sobre os fluxos de transporte entre 551 pontos distribuídos pelas 27 unidades federativas do país e o exterior, incluindo custos e volume de transporte por tipo de modal, discriminados em 29 grupos de produtos. Na estrutura teórica do modelo BR-Transport, introduziram-se mecanismos que se baseiam na racionalidade dos agentes, que minimizam custos, e contemplam as elasticidades de substituição preço cruzado entre os modais de transporte, as quais foram estimadas econometricamente. Foram admitidas duas abordagens para a estimação da função de demanda: a translog do tipo Constant Elasticity of Substitution, que corresponde à especificação teórica das funções de produção implementadas no modelo de equilíbrio geral computável; e a Multinomial Conditional Logit, tipicamente usada em modelos de escolha de modos de transporte. Ambas as estimações contaram com controles adicionais, como atributos do modal, efeitos fixos e variáveis instrumentais. As elasticidades obtidas a partir das diferentes formas funcionais permitiram realizar uma análise de sensibilidade dos resultados do modelo de equilíbrio geral, com base no uso dos diferentes vetores de elasticidades. Os resultados indicaram que choques generalizados de redução de custos no sistema de transporte brasileiro geram um aumento das exportações e importações inter-regionais e beneficiam principalmente os produtos regionais brutos dos estados das regiões Norte e Nordeste do país. Tais resultados estão diretamente associados à melhoria de acesso desses estados aos principais mercados consumidores e fornecedores, localizados nas regiões Sudeste e Sul, e revelam o potencial de redistribuição regional de renda das políticas de reduções de custos de transportes. Em uma análise dos impactos específicos dessas reduções de custos em cada modal, notou-se a preponderância do transporte rodoviário na economia nacional, em todos os estados e setores. Simulando uma redução de custos generalizada no modal ferroviário, o estado mais beneficiado seria o Pará, sobretudo porque ligações específicas por este modal entre os estados do Pará, de São Paulo e Minas Gerais estão entre as vinte mais importantes em termos de benefícios ao Produto Interno Bruto e às exportações nacionais. Melhorias no modal hidroviário, por sua vez, teriam impactos relevantes nos estados da região Norte do país. Já o modal dutoviário ainda mostra pequena expressão em relação a impactos regionais e setoriais / The objective of this thesis is to discuss, from the perspective of multimodality, the impacts on the Brazilian economy resulting from the retrenchment of transportation. To achieve this goal, an interregional computable general equilibrium model named BR-Transport was implemented, inspired by the theory of the Australian school. The calibrated data used in the model were disaggregated according to four modes of transport: roads, rails, waterways and pipelines. For the disaggregation of the transport activity and the estimation of the cross-price elasticities of substitution, the Brazilian National Plan for Logistics and Transport database was used; it contains information about traffic flows between 551 points over the 27 Brazilian states and the rest of the world, including costs and volume of transport for each mode of transportation, discriminated in 29 different product groups. In the theoretical structure of the BR-Transport model, mechanisms were introduced based on the rationality of agents, which minimize costs; they include the cross-price elasticities of substitution between modes of transport, which were econometrically estimated. Thus, two distinct functional forms were admitted: the first one was the Constant Elasticity of Substitution, a translog which corresponds to the theoretical specification of the production functions implemented in the computable general equilibrium model; and the second one was the Multinomial Conditional Logit, which is typically used in choice models of modes of transportation. Both estimations were made using additional controls, such as modal attributes, fixed effects and instrumental variables. The elasticities obtained from the different functional forms allowed the implementation of a sensitivity analysis of the general equilibrium model results, based on the use of different elasticities vectors. Results show that general shocks of retrenchment in the Brazilian transportation system increase inter-regional exports and imports and especially benefit gross regional products in Brazil\'s North and Northeast regions. These results are directly related to the improvement of the accessibility of these states to big markets and suppliers, located in the Southeast and South regions, and they demonstrate that politics of retrenchment of transport improve regional income redistribution. An analysis of the specific impacts of retrenchment in each mode indicates a preponderance of road transport in the national economy, in all states and sectors. A simulation of a general retrenchment of the railway mode shows that the state of Pará would have more benefits due to the fact that specific railway links between this state and the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais are among the 20 most important ones in terms of benefits to the national Gross Domestic Product and the national exports. On the other hand, improvements in waterways would have significant impacts on the states of the North region. Finally, pipelines still show little expression with respect to regional and sectoral impacts.

The major purpose of this thesis is to offer a detailed look at the development of two models used to assist in the detailed study of Australian two lane two way highways with particular reference to heavy vehicles. The first model governs the acceleration behaviour of vehicles on upgrades and downgrades. The second model controls overtaking manoeuvres on two lane two way highways where movement into the lane of oncoming traffic is required. Both models are implemented through a suite of transport simulation modelling software called Paramics.

The major purpose of this thesis is to offer a detailed look at the development of two models used to assist in the detailed study of Australian two lane two way highways with particular reference to heavy vehicles. The first model governs the acceleration behaviour of vehicles on upgrades and downgrades. The second model controls overtaking manoeuvres on two lane two way highways where movement into the lane of oncoming traffic is required. Both models are implemented through a suite of transport simulation modelling software called Paramics.

Once automatic vehicles are available, working from self-driving car (WFC) in the AV's mobile office will be a real option. It allows firms to socialize land costs for office space from the office lot to road infrastructure used by AV. Employees, in turn, can switch wasted commuting time into working hours and reduce daily time tied to working. We develop a microeconomic model of employer's offer and employees choice of WFC contracts and hours. Using data for Germany and the U.S., we perform Monte Carlo studies to assess whether WFC may become reality. Eventually, we study the impact of transport pricing on these choices. Our findings is, that WFC contracts are likely to be a standard feature of large cities given current wages, office, and current and expected travel costs. There is a clear decline of hours spent working in office. On average, WFC hours and distance traveled slightly exceed commuting figures.

A qualidade de vida da população que vive em meio urbano, não só da Portuguesa como da Europeia e mesmo mundial, tem vindo a evidenciar uma degradação crescente. Existem múltiplas dimensões englobadas no que se designa como "qualidade de vida", ou seja, "a percepção do indivíduo da sua posição na vida, no contexto cultural e no sistema de valores em que se insere e em relação aos seus objectivos, expectativas, padrões e preocupações", segundo a definição da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), "influenciada de forma complexa pela saúde física, estado psicológico, nível de independência, relações sociais, crenças pessoais e suas relações com aspectos do meio envolvente em que o indivíduo está inserido"(WHOQOL Group 1995).Diversos estudos têm demonstrado que o aumento da proporção da população que vive em cidades associado ao crescimento continuado da construção de novas infra-estruturas de transporte que, por sua vez, são atravessadas por um maior número de veículos, maioritariamente, correspondentes ao transporte rodoviário tem, largamente, contribuído para essa deterioração.O tema da presente dissertação versa sobre os assuntos acima mencionados e procura fazer a interligação entre as características do ruído ambiente exterior, neste caso do ruído rodoviário, as opções de planeamento urbano tomadas pelas diferentes edilidades e as repercussões dessas mesmas decisões (ou da falta de tomada de decisões) na qualidade de vida da população em geral e nos potenciais efeitos de limitação dos direitos de construção "adquiridos" dos proprietários de terrenos urbanos.Para a prossecução dos objectivos de quantificação da interferência nefasta do ruído rodoviário, foi necessária a análise dos diversos temas correlacionados com a acústica ambiental. Consideraram-se de particular importância, além das matérias relacionadas com acústica ambiental, assuntos relativos à economia dos transportes e ao ordenamento do território. Da combinação destas três temáticas foi possível quantificar o custo do ruído rodoviário em Portugal.Os conceitos incorporados nesta tese e associados à economia dos transportes possibilitaram a quantificação das externalidades do ruído, ou seja, a valoração económica dos efeitos perniciosos do ruído na população, nomeadamente, quanto aos problemas de saúde e à incomodidade sentida pelas pessoas expostas. Concluiu-se que as externalidades do ruído representam cerca de 0,25% do PIB2007, ou seja, aproximadamente 400 milhões de euros anuais (estimativa correspondente aos "valores centrais").Ainda no âmbito da economia dos transportes, procurou-se quantificar as despesas efectuadas com medidas de minimização de ruído, na fonte (soluções de pavimentação com desempenho acústico melhorado) e no percurso de propagação (Barreiras acústicas) para as vias rodoviárias englobadas na rede rodoviária principal.Da análise dos investimentos efectuados, sobre os quais se conseguiu reunir a informação necessária, resultou uma despesa já efectuada de cerca de 18 milhões de euros em barreiras acústicas e próximo de 12 milhões de euros de sobrecusto de pavimentação aos quais irão acrescer, para um horizonte de 20 anos, cerca de 100 milhões de euros em repavimentações.Assim, foi necessário o recurso a conceitos de ordenamento do território para a quantificação e valorização das potenciais perdas de rendimentos fiscais decorrentes da existência de níveis sonoros de ruído ambiente superiores aos indicados no Regulamento Geral do Ruído (RGR), consoante a classificação sonora atribuída pelos municípios. Concluiu-se que a perda potencial de receita fiscal, em sede de IMI e para a globalidade dos concelhos Portugueses, rondaria os 120 milhões de euros anuais, o que representa cerca de 17% da receita total anual de IMI.Palavras-chave:Ambiente; ruído ambiente; ordenamento do território; economia dos transportes; externalidades do ruído; Impostos sobre o Património (IMI) / The quality of life of the population living in urban areas, not only the Portuguese, as the European and even the world, has been demonstrating a growing degradation. There are multiple dimensions embodied in the definition of "quality of life", which means, "individuals' perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns", according to the definition issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), "a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the persons' physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships and their relationship to salient features of their environment" (WHOQOL Group 1995).A variety of studies show an increasing proportion of the population living in cities, fact that associated with a continuing expansion of new transport infrastructure with the passage of a larger number of vehicles, mostly relating to road transport, has largely contributed to this deterioration.The theme of this thesis deals with the relationship between the characteristics of environmental noise, in particular of road noise, urban planning options to which different municipalities have committed to and the impact of those decisions (or lack of decision) in the quality of life of the population in general and the potential consequences of restraining the "acquired" construction rights of urban land owners.To accomplish the objectives of quantifying the negative interference of road traffic noise, were studied several themes correlated with environmental acoustics. Considered of particular importance and in addition to matters concerning environmental acoustics, were issues related to transport economy and territorial planning. The combination of these three thematic made possible the quantification of the road traffic noise cost in Portugal.In this thesis were applied concepts associated with transport economy, which have allowed the quantification of noise externalities, that is to say, economic valuation of noise damaging effects in the population in particular with regard to health problems and exposed person's annoyance. It was possible to conclude that noise externalities represent approximately 0.25 per cent of PIB2007, about 400 million Euros per annum ("central values" estimate).Also in the transport economy sphere of influence, there was an attempt to quantify the noise mitigation measures used to minimize noise at the source (pavement solutions with enhanced acoustic performance) and in the wave path (noise barriers) on the roads which are part of the principal road network. The analysis of investments, for which was possible to gather the required information, resulted in the computation of an expense close to 18 million Euros in noise barriers and almost to 12 million Euros of additional cost for enhanced pavements to which will be added, in a twenty years period, approximately 100 million Euros in pavement replacements.Regarding territorial planning, were used related theories for the quantification and valuation of potential real estate tax revenue losses arising from environmental noise levels higher than the limits listed in the third Portuguese Noise Code (RGR), for noise zoning assigned by municipalities. It was concluded that the potential loss of real estate tax revenue (IMI), for the overall Portuguese municipalities, might achieve 120 million Euros per year, approximately 17% of total yearly revenue of IMI.Keywords :Environment; environmental noise; territorial planning; transports economics; noise externalities; real estate taxation (IMI)

<div>The purpose of this dissertation is to study the effectiveness of public policies in generating fuel savings and emissions reductions. I focus on applying various empirical methods to analyze consumer responses to policy changes on both extensive and intensive margins. This dissertation consists of two chapters.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first chapter, I compare the effectiveness of fuel taxes and product taxes on reducing gasoline consumption of new car buyers. I employ a unified data source for vehicle choice and subsequent vehicle use to estimate a random effects logit demand model that explicitly accounts for vehicle use heterogeneity. My demand estimation suggests that new car buyers fully value the fuel-saving benefits from improved vehicle fuel efficiency when they initially purchase their cars. My policy simulations indicate that high-mileage drivers are more responsive to a change in fuel taxes than to a change in product taxes, even as low-mileage drivers are more responsive to product taxes. By capturing such heterogeneous consumer response to policies, I show that a counterfactual increase of the fuel tax is more effective than a revenue-equivalent product tax in reducing the total gasoline consumption of new car buyers. Further, when accounting for its effects on consumer response on both extensive and intensive margins, a change in fuel taxes has a clear advantage over a change in product taxes in reducing the consumption of gasoline even when the magnitude of tax increase is small. More importantly, a model not accounting for vehicle use heterogeneity understates the fuel saving effects of both policies and misleads us about the relative effectiveness when comparing different policies. </div><div><br></div><div>The second chapter explores how changes in the marginal cost of driving affect consumers decisions about passenger vehicle utilization, as measured by average daily miles traveled per vehicle. This intensive margin of consumer response has important implications for the effectiveness of usage-based policies, such as the fuel tax and the mileage tax, that designed to address externalities of driving. I estimate the elasticity of driving with respect to fuel cost per mile using a large panel data that covers 351 towns and cities in Massachusetts over 24 quarters. While most researchers in this literature apply fixed effects estimators to examine the elasticity of driving, I use a factor model econometric setup to account for unobserved common factors and regional heterogeneity. Residual diagnostics confirm that the factor model setup does a better job of removing the cross-section dependence than fixed effects estimators do. Given low consumer responsiveness to changes in the marginal cost of driving engendered by current usage-based policies, rights-based approaches like congestion charges might be better alternatives to influence vehicle utilization and vehicle ownership.</div>

<p>Car usage is determined by several facts, e.g. living conditions determined by geographical matters. There is a political will to control car usage with different kinds of incentives since car usage generates environmental problems. This essay analyses the differences between car usage in urban areas as opposed to thinly populated areas in Sweden and their significance on governmental incentives. By using statistics differences in car ownership during ten years between thinly populated areas, areas in the countryside and urban areas is studied. Among other things living conditions determined by geographical matters that can explain the differences and problems with fuel taxes and road pricing is being discussed in the analyse.</p>

Les émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) d’origine humaine, en se concentrant dans l’atmosphère entraînent des changements climatiques. L’augmentation des GES, notamment les émissions de CO2 dans l’activité du transport en général et du transport de marchandise en particulier contribuent au réchauffement de la planète. Le transport est à l’origine d’une part croissante de ces émissions, principalement le transport routier et, dans le transport, la part des marchandises (environ un tiers) est croissante. Actuellement, une part importante et croissante du transport de marchandises est organisée par quelques enseignes de la grande distribution qui cherchent à contrôler les flux logistiques de plus en plus loin en amont des magasins et de les organiser à leur profit.L'objectif principal de la thèse est une contribution à une meilleure connaissance de la consommation d’énergie et des émissions de carbone (CO2) dans le transport de marchandises. Pour cela, la thèse analyse l’efficacité énergétique et carbone de différentes formes de chaînes logistiques mises en œuvre par les principaux distributeurs au Vietnam et les compare avec les chaînes logistiques correspondantes en France. Hanoi est une ville en développement très rapide depuis l’ouverture de l’économie en 1986. Le développement de l’économie a attiré l’augmentation de la population dans la zone urbaine dense, la motorisation du transport et une évolution importante des formes de distribution et des chaînes logistiques.Nous partons de travaux sur la quantification de l’énergie et des émissions de GES des chaînes logistiques en France et en Europe. Nous avons réalisé des enquêtes sur les chaînes de distributions vietnamiennes pour obtenir des données comparables et quantifier l’énergie consommée et les émissions en appliquant la méthode de quantification du CO2 utilisée en France. Ceci nous permet de comparer l’efficacité énergétique et carbone de différentes formes de magasins sur le cas du yaourt et du blue-jeans entre le Vietnam et la France.Une enquête a été menée en face à face auprès des opérateurs (producteurs, transporteurs, distributeurs) et une enquête Web auprès des consommateurs au Vietnam qui vont acheter ces produits aux magasins. A partir des données collectées sur le territoire de Hanoï, nous avons décrit les chaînes logistiques du yaourt et du blue-jean au Vietnam depuis la matière première jusqu’au domicile du consommateur. Les différences entre types de distribution ou chaînes logistiques étudiées, portent notamment sur le type de magasin : petit magasin de centre-ville qui peut appartenir au producteur au Vietnam, à une chaîne de distribution en France ou être indépendant de l’un et de l’autre, supermarché et hypermarché des grands distributeurs.Grâce à ces analyses, nous allons répondre aux questions suivantes : Quels sont les types de magasins et les organisations logistiques les plus efficaces pour l’énergie et des émissions de CO2? Les types d’énergie rencontrés dans cette comparaison sont le gazole, l’essence, l’électricité et parfois le gaz. Les coefficients d’émission de ces différentes énergies sont ceux du Guide Information de CO2 des prestations de transport de l’ADEME (2012) et le coefficient d’émission de l’électricité au Vietnam est celui du Ministère de la Resource naturelle et de l’Environnement du Vietnam (2010). / Anthropic Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG), when concentrating in the atmosphere, cause climate change. The increase in greenhouse gases, including CO2 emissions in transport activity in general and freight transport in particular of contribute to global warming. Transportation is responsible for an increasing part of these emissions, mainly road transport and within transport; the share of goods (about one third) is increasing. Currently, a large and growing share of freight transport is organized by a few large retailers seeking to control logistics flows even further upstream and to organize theses flows for their own benefit.The main aim of the thesis is a contribution to a better understanding of energy consumption and carbon (CO2) emissions in the transportation of goods. For this, the thesis analyzes the energy and carbon efficiencies of various forms of supply chains implemented by major retailers in Vietnam and compares them with the corresponding supply chains in France. Hanoi is a very fast developing city since the opening of the economy in 1986. The economic development has drawn increasing population in the dense major urban areas, the motorization of transport and dramatic changes in the distribution and in the supply chains organization.The starting point of the thesis is a research result on quantifying energy and GHG emissions from supply chains in France and in Europe. We conducted surveys on the corresponding supply chains of Vietnamese distributions to obtain comparable data and quantify the energy consumption and emissions of CO2 by applying the quantification method used in France. This allows us to compare the energy and carbon efficiency of different forms of retail outlets in the cases studied of yoghurt and blue jeans between Vietnam and France.A survey was conducted face to face with the operators (producers, transporters, distributors) and a Web survey with consumers (in shopping trips) in Vietnam have bought these products in these retail outlets. Using the information collected in Hanoi, we describe the supply chains of yoghurt and jeans in Vietnam from the raw material up to the consumer's home. The differences between types of distribution or supply chains, relate in particular to the type of retail outlets: a shop can belong to the producer in Vietnam, a retailer in France or an independent shop and the supermarket and hypermarket to major distributors.Through these analyzes, we answer the following questions: What are the most efficient logistic organizations for energy and CO2 emissions of retail outlets? Energy consumptions in this analysis are diesel, gasoline, electricity and sometimes gas. For these different energies, we use the emission factors of the ‘CO2 in transport services Information Guide’ (ADEME 2012) and for electricity in Vietnam, the emission factor published by the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment of Vietnam (2010).

<p>Maritime shipping is the most important mode of transportation for international trade. About 70 to 80 percent of the value traded worldwide moves by sea [1]. An inherent problem in global shipping markets is that non-competitive pricing behavior among carriers is widely believed to raise the cost of freight [2]–[5]. It is also likely that the effects of this problem on international trade flows and welfare are magnified by restricted cabotage reservation schemes. Historically, countries have implemented such policies to prohibit foreign competition in domestic shipping markets. The effects of protection on international goods trade are reasonably well understood. The effects of protection on service trade are less straight-forward. Issues of quality become more important, but they are challenging to measure. Moreover, most of these cabotage reservation schemes ban service imports. Therefore, this makes it complicated to compare domestic and foreign services in the same market, given that service activities are place-specific. </p> <p><br></p> <p>In order to better understand the effect of non-competitive pricing behavior in global shipping markets on international trade flows and the incidence of cabotage reservation schemes in shipping markets, I develop three essays. In the first Essay I focus on quantifying the economic effects of non-competitive pricing behavior in the maritime shipping industry on (1) freight costs, (2) international trade flows, and (3) economic welfare. The research question that I answer is: what share of observed shipping freight charges is attributable to non-competitive pricing behavior in maritime shipping markets? I estimate the maritime shipping mark-ups applying the method of Atkin and Donaldson [6] to U.S. Census import data of shipments moved by sea during the period 2002-2017. I find that freight mark-ups account for approximately one-third of total freight charges in U.S. imports. Carriers’ mark-ups thus represent an equivalent ad valorem tariff of 1.4-2.6 percent. U.S. imports of differentiated products would be 4.2 to 11.6 percent higher if these mark-ups were eliminated. The cost of these mark-ups in terms of economic welfare for U.S. consumers represents an annual reduction of 0.1-0.2 percent of their real income. Carriers also charge higher maritime shipping mark-ups (per kg.) to high-value products, products with a lower elasticity of substitution, and products with higher import tariffs. Imported products from developing countries or from distant countries to the U.S. are also charged with larger tariff equivalent mark-ups.  </p> <p><br></p> <p>In the second Essay I estimate the economic burden placed on Puerto Rico by the Jones Act. Using Lloyd’s List Intelligence (LLI) data to document the supply of shipping services in the U.S. -Puerto Rico shipping market, I find that the Jones Act fleet serving Puerto Rico contains no ships designed for the purpose of moving general cargo or bulk commodities. I then evaluate how this lack of supply of shipping services is a burden on imports of goods that would normally travel by ships of those kinds, modelling Puerto Rico’s import demand in a gravity framework. This exercise indicates that Puerto Rico’s demand for final goods exhibits a greater substitution towards non-U.S. sources among products that tend a) to be shipped by sea, b) to be physically heavy, and c) not to be moved in containers. I then estimate a structural gravity model to quantify the tariff-equivalent trade costs the Jones Act imposes on U.S. shipments. This model yields that the Jones Act represents a tariff equivalent of 30.6 percent on average across products. Finally, I use these estimates to calculate the compensating variation of Jones Act removal. I find that the cost of final expenditure in Puerto Rico would be $1.4 billion (about 1.3 percent) lower per year without the Jones Act. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Finally, in the third Essay I investigate what specifically explains the estimated change in Puerto Rico’s import demand for U.S. products due to the Jones Act. I use detailed data of vessels’ ports-of-call in the Caribbean from LLI to document issues of service quality and availability in maritime shipping services between the U.S. and Puerto Rico during the period 2004-2020, calculating metrics for some quality dimensions (e.g., vessels age, shipping capacity, shipping frequency and more). I also evaluate market conditions such as the concentration level in the market of carriers and shipyard building companies in order to examine the presumed incidence in shipping freight costs. Additionally, I use Puerto Rico’s import data from the Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico (IEPR) to evaluate how much the Jones Act restrictions affect the mode choice decisions for shipping products between U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico. The research question that I try to answer is: what is the level and evolution of the quality of shipping services provided by Jones Act-compliant vessels in the U.S.-Puerto Rico shipping market? </p>

O objectivo primordial deste trabalho consiste na análise da exploração de redes de transporte ferroviário urbano do tipo metropolitano, a nível da União Europeia. Esta análise é efectuada do ponto de vista da produção, não estando incluída neste estudo uma análise de custos. A metodologia desenvolvida consiste, em primeiro lugar, na recolha de dados que caracterizem o capital, a mão-de-obra e a produção das empresas de metro, bem como dados sobre o contexto sócio-económico das áreas urbanas onde as redes estão inseridas. Em seguida, relacionam-se os dados recolhidos, de modo a obter indicadores que traduzam o panorama geral dos diferentes sistemas. Estes indicadores servem, simultaneamente, para permitir comparações directas entre empresas e para estabelecer tendências entre diferentes tipos (metropolitanos pesados ou ligeiros) e formas (redes radiais, intermédias ou alongadas) de sistemas. A análise da produção incide sobre a determinação das elasticidades dos inputs, assim como da eficiência ou eficácia alcançadas no processo produtivo dos diversos outputs. Para tal, recorre-se a um modelo de determinação da fronteira estocástica de produção, com a ajuda do programa informático Limdep. Sendo a eficácia de produção muito condicionada pelo contexto sócio-económico das áreas urbanas, avalia-se ainda a influência na eficácia da oscilação de variáveis externas ao sistema, com recurso a uma regressão linear, também efectuada no Limdep. Por fim, dedica-se um capítulo ao Metro do Porto, no qual se relaciona a evolução da produção, eficiência e eficácia com o desenvolvimento infra-estrutural da rede e se compara esses resultados com outras redes de metropolitano ligeiro na Europa. / The major objective of this work consists on the analysis of the operational performance of european urban rail transport networks, mainly those known as metro system. This analysis was performed using a production function, not being enclosed in this study a costs analysis. Firstly, to establish this metro production function, data on diverse capital and labour variables was collected, as well as variables characterising the social-economic context of the urban areas where these metro systems operate. After that, in order to get indicators which accurately describe the general environment of the different systems, relationship among cross-section data observations was made. These parameters serve, simultaneously, to allow to direct comparisons among companies and to establish trends among different rail urban transport types (heavy vs. light metros) and systems forms (radial, mixed or extended networks). The analysis of the production was focused on the estimate of the inputs elasticities of the optimal production function, as well as on the efficiency and effectiveness levels of each company used in the analysis. For such, the stochastic production frontier model was carried out through the use of Limdep software. Being the production effectiveness very influenced by the urban areas social-economic environment on which metro operates, regressing the effectiveness results on external and internal company variables, the influence of these external effects on effectiveness was evaluated. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to the Porto metro system. In this chapter, using previous Porto metro efficiency and effectiveness results, two analyses were made, the first establishing the relationship between these perform results and the network infrastructure time development and a second one comparison of Porto metro results and those of some european metro light systems.