LE RÉSEAU FERROVIAIRE : DU MONOPOLE NATUREL A LA RÉGIONALISATION

The aim of this article is to investigate the issue of the railway network in a theoretical perspective. The railway network, that has long been considered as the symbol of the Central State, is traditionally based on a national, spatially integrated and central regulated management. Modern analyses suggest however that the regionalization of regional railway networks can be achieved under certain conditions and that this may favor the development of the railway network in urban and sub-urban areas.