A two-stage data envelopment model for evaluating the exchange efficiency of the imports and exports in a railway supply chain network

Abstract

This study presents a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to evaluate the efficiency of the exchange of regional import and export goods in a railway supply chain network. Unlike previous railway supply chain efficiency studies, the exchange efficiency incorporates railway supply chain operational input, import volume as input, and export volume as output to help policymakers review railway supply chain performance and local freight structure decisions. The transport service efficiency of transportation lines between provinces in the railway supply chain network is formulated with a two-stage DEA model. This transport service efficiency is further decomposed into the efficiency of the forward and reverse lines constituting the transportation lines between provinces. To provide decision-makers with a path to improve exchange efficiency, we measure the improvement potential for each input and output of a province. The empirical study of China’s railway supply chain shows (1) Shanxi, Tibet, Shanghai, and Hainan provinces have the highest exchange efficiency; (2) intra-regional transport service efficiency is higher than inter-regional transport service efficiency in North, East, and Southwestern China; and (3) provinces with lower exchange efficiency can also have transportation lines with high transport service efficiency.