The Importance of Rail Transport for Transport Services in Peripheral Areas

This article focuses on the evaluation of the importance of passenger rail transport for transport services in peripheral areas. The term peripheral area is defined, and the different types of peripheral areas and their characteristics are listed. Based on the analysis of these areas in the Czech Republic, the authors generally divide passenger rail transport services in peripheral areas into three categories according to the route of the railway line within the peripheral areas and towards the centre. The authors set out the most important criteria to assess the importance of individual line categories for transport services in peripheral areas. Based on the SWOT analysis and using the TOWS matrix, specific strategies and proposals are presented to address passenger rail services in the peripheral area. The aim of this article is to evaluate the importance of rail transport in peripheral areas using the criteria selected by the authors.