交易成本与铁路轨宽的标准化演进

铁路轨宽的标准经过了长时间的演进,从最初的几百种演进到三十几种,到最后确定为一个1 435毫米的国际标准,本文从经济学交易成本和运输的经济效率两个角度考察了这个演进的过程,这个过程充分体现了交易成本在不断的降低,而且根据诺斯的制度经济学的理论,提出标准化演进的过程也是制度变迁的过程,但是标准要比制度更好把握和实施,并且标准化极大地降低了交易成本,节约了交易时间,提高铁路运输的效率。

Transformational Cost and Standardized Evolution of Railroad Gauge

Railroad gauge standards, from the initial several hundred to about 30 kinds and finally an international standard of 1435 millimeters has been evoluted for a long time. From the perspective of transaction cost and the economics, the process of evolution is researched. According to the North economic theory, this transaction process reduces the continuous costs and improves economic efficiency significantly. The standardization of the evolution is the process of institutional change, but a standard is easier to grasp and implement than the system and the standardization greatly reduces the transaction costs, saves transaction time and increases the efficiency of railway transport.