Transport Cost Benefit Analysis: Basic Assumptions and Accounting Rules (2023) presents methodological guidance for evaluating transport investments using economic cost–benefit analysis. The work explains the theoretical assumptions underlying transport appraisal and develops accounting rules for measuring social costs and benefits. It emphasizes a welfare-economic framework where projects are assessed based on their contribution to social surplus, while distributional or equity concerns are treated separately. The report derives key rules related to discount rates, project selection criteria, and sustainability considerations. It also discusses practical valuation issues such as freight value of time, costs in scheduled transport services, and benefits arising from industrial reorganization. Additional sections examine how congestion pricing influences investment evaluation and how marginal changes in maintenance budgets affect benefit–cost ratios. The report proposes environmental input–output analysis as a way to capture impacts outside standard transport models.
