Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering

In this research, we develop an analytical framework to study the performance of two alternative topologies of HSR networks: isolated corridors and grid networks. We evaluate how HSR configuration affects capacity investment levels, profits and social welfare depending on different influential factors, namely economies of traffic density, market size and the opportunity cost of capital. Our investigations focus on a public welfare maximiser entity, which provides transport services and is also the infrastructure developer. We find that the grid network is more likely to be preferred by a social welfare maximising entity when the unit investment cost is low, the demand for the isolated city-pair market is low, the marginal operating cost (excluding density effect) is low and traffic density effect is high. We also investigate whether and when relevant conflicts arise: (i) does the network with higher investment brings higher social welfare?; (ii) does the network with higher consumer surplus and social welfare also brings higher operating profit?; (iii) is operating profit sufficient to recover investment costs?. We show that the choice of the grid network is more likely to encounter problem of investment cost recovery as the density effect increases.

Short Bio: Tiziana D’Alfonso is Assistant Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering and Associate Fellow of the University of Manitoba Transport Institute (Canada). On March 2018 she receives the National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor (SSD: ING-IND:35). At Sapienza Università di Roma, she teaches Economics of Technology and Management, Master Degree in Mechanical Enginering (since 2016) and carries on the Lab Course in Management Engineering (since 2012). 

She received her Ph.D. in Economics and Management of Technology in 2012 at University of Bergamo.  She is a Member of the Scientific Committee and Executive Committee at ITEA-International Transport Economics Association, where she also performs her duties as Treasurer. She is a Member of the Joint Committee, Faculty of Information Engineering, Informatics, and Statistics, Sapienza University of Rome, for the monitoring of the study programmes, the quality of teaching and of tutoring services to students. At  Sapienza University of Rome she is  Member of the Faculty of the Ph.D. Program in "Industrial and Management Engineering",  Member of the Scientific Committee of the Masters “Management of Local Public Transport" and "Management Engineering for Health Authorities", and is responsible for the organization of advances courses on themes related to the Management of Local Public Transport within the agreement between Sapienza University of Rome and Accademia Nazionale per l'Autonomia, the Training Authority of the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Main areas of investigation, including both theoretical and application-related issues, are: industrial organization, economics and regulation of network industries, transport economics and policy with a particular focus on air transport, rail transport and local public transport. Research results have been presented annually in several national and international conferences such as, among others: ITEA-International Transport Economic Association, ATRS-Air Transport Research Society, WCTRS-World Conference on Transport research Society, SIET-Società Italiana degli Economisti dei Trasporti, AiIG-Associazione Italiana Ingegneria Gestionale. She has published more that 20 papers in relevant international journals on themes related to industrial organization and transport economics. Her bibliometric indices exceed two thresholds out of three in the ANVUR evaluation for the awarding of the National Scientific Qualification to Full Professor in ING-IND / 35.

Honours and awards include the Young Talents Award  by the Italian Management Engineering Association, in 2018 2018; Funding of basic research activities awarded by Ministry of Education, University and Research- ANVUR (Top 25% Associate Professors, Top 75% Assistant Professors); Best Overall Paper Award, “An incentive pricing mechanism for efficient airport slot allocation in Europe” in ITEA Conference on Transport Economics, Universidad de Chile, Santiago De Chile, 2016; Stu Clark Distinguished Speaker Fellowship by the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship of University of Manitoba, for prominent researchers from outside of the University of Manitoba considered distinguished or up-and-coming in their area(s) of research, in 2016; TEE (Transatlantic Partnership for Excellence in Engineering) Award by European Commission in the area “Green Transport and Logistic”, for the project proposal “The environmental impact of Air Passenger Transport - High Speed Rail services substitution”, 2013    

She serves in the Editorial Reviewer Committee of several international jorunals such as, among others: European Journal of Operational Research, Transportation Research Part E, Transportation Research Part A, Transportation Research Part B, Transport Policy, Transportation Science, Journal of Air Transport Management, Research in Transportation Economics, Journal of Choice Modelling. In 2018, she received Outstanding contribution in reviewing in recognition of the contributions made to the quality of the journal, Economics of Transportation and Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2019. She has been Local Organizer and Member of the Scientific Committeeof the Workshop "Procurement design of local public transport services", within the activities of the SIG E2 Special Interest Group "Transport Pricing and Economic Regulation"  of WCTRS - World Conference of Transport Research Society.

She has been working as a local unit member and as principal investigator in several research projects funded by grants from firms and institutions such as, among others, European Union, ANAV-National Association for Road Transport and Travelers, ENAC-National Association for Civil Aviation, MIT – Ministry of Transport and Infrastructures and MIUR-Ministry of Research, University and Higher Education.