Transport Economics and Management Training Course

Duration 10 days 16 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Transport Operations Managers, Public Transport Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-OM-029

Before you join: Participants should have experience in transport, logistics, infrastructure, public services or operational management, and should be comfortable interpreting basic tables, charts and financial figures.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Transport providers, public authorities and major asset owners must make service, investment and pricing decisions while managing constrained capacity, variable demand, regulation, safety obligations and public scrutiny. A route change, depot investment, freight contract or fare revision can alter operating costs, customer behaviour, emissions, revenue risk and network performance. Managers need more than operational experience: they need a disciplined way to quantify demand, compare options, control cost drivers and explain decisions to executives, regulators and service users.

This course develops the economic and managerial skills required to plan, operate and improve passenger and freight transport services. Participants examine transport demand, generalised cost, price elasticity, network effects, capacity planning, service design, costing, budgeting, procurement, asset management and investment appraisal. They use cost-benefit analysis, activity-based costing, demand forecasting and performance measurement to assess alternatives such as fleet replacement, route restructuring, terminal expansion, freight service redesign and mobility service contracts. The course also addresses regulation, concession models, environmental externalities, safety risk and stakeholder management.

Instructor-led sessions combine concise briefings with transport cases, group analysis, planning tasks, simulations and structured review. Participants work progressively on a transport operation or investment case, using their own organisation where suitable. They leave with a transport service business case containing a demand assessment, operating model, cost and revenue forecast, KPI set, risk register and implementation plan. The course suits managers working in public transport, logistics, ports, airports, rail, road operations and transport planning roles.

What you will be able to do

  • Analyse transport demand using generalised cost, elasticity and market segmentation methods
  • Forecast passenger or freight volumes using scenario assumptions and demand models
  • Build activity-based operating cost models for routes, fleets, terminals or logistics services
  • Evaluate transport investments using discounted cash flow and cost-benefit analysis
  • Design service plans using capacity, frequency, fleet and crew constraints
  • Develop transport KPIs, dashboards and corrective action plans for operational control
  • Prepare procurement and concession evaluation criteria for transport service contracts
  • Present an integrated transport operating and investment business case

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Make defensible service and investment recommendations using quantified economic evidence
  • Explain fare, subsidy and capacity decisions clearly to senior stakeholders
  • Identify the cost drivers behind route, fleet and terminal performance
  • Build credible transport business cases for capital and operational funding
  • Strengthen readiness for transport management, planning and infrastructure roles

For your organisation

  • Better targeted service changes based on demand, cost and customer evidence
  • More credible investment proposals with stated assumptions, benefits and risks
  • Improved control of fleet, crew, fuel, maintenance and terminal cost drivers
  • Clearer performance reporting linking operational measures to financial outcomes
  • Stronger evaluation of supplier, operator and concession contract proposals

Course modules

16 modules over 10 days

Participants can describe how transport market structure and operating models shape managerial decisions.

  • Transport system components: networks, nodes, vehicles, users and operators
  • Passenger, freight and infrastructure markets distinguished by demand characteristics
  • Public, private and mixed operating models compared through accountability
  • Network effects and economies of density in transport service provision
  • Stakeholder mapping for authorities, operators, customers, funders and regulators
  • Service objectives translated into cost, reliability, access and safety measures

Participants can analyse the factors that influence passenger and freight transport demand.

  • Generalised cost combines fares, travel time, reliability and interchange penalties
  • Trip purpose, income, commodity type and location shape demand segments
  • Value of time estimates support service and investment comparisons
  • Origin-destination matrices reveal movement patterns between network zones
  • Induced demand distinguished from diverted, suppressed and generated trips
  • Customer journey mapping identifies friction points affecting transport choice

Participants can assess how prices, service quality and competition affect revenue and demand.

  • Price elasticity calculated from fare changes and observed demand responses
  • Cross-elasticity measures switching between rail, bus, road and air services
  • Fare structures assessed for simplicity, equity, yield and administration
  • Peak and off-peak pricing matched to capacity and demand patterns
  • Freight rate setting accounts for distance, weight, urgency and handling
  • Revenue protection controls address fare evasion, billing errors and leakage

Participants can produce transparent demand forecasts for operational and investment decisions.

  • Base-year demand established from validated passenger, freight and ticketing data
  • Trend extrapolation tested against demographic, economic and land-use changes
  • Four-step travel demand model: generation, distribution, mode choice, assignment
  • Scenario planning tests optimistic, central and downside demand assumptions
  • Sensitivity analysis identifies variables with material forecast effects
  • Forecast assumptions documented in an auditable demand forecasting register

Participants can develop service concepts that align demand, coverage and operating resources.

  • Route hierarchy distinguishes trunk, feeder, express and coverage services
  • Service frequency derived from demand profiles and waiting-time targets
  • Stop spacing balances accessibility, commercial speed and passenger convenience
  • Timetable coordination reduces transfer penalties at network interchange points
  • Span-of-service decisions reflect demand, social obligations and operating cost
  • Network alternatives compared using coverage, ridership, cost and equity criteria

Participants can calculate resource requirements for a planned transport service.

  • Load factor calculations relate passenger volumes to available vehicle capacity
  • Peak vehicle requirement derived from cycle time, frequency and recovery
  • Fleet utilisation separates productive service hours from non-revenue time
  • Crew scheduling constraints include breaks, shifts, qualifications and labour rules
  • Terminal capacity assessed through berth, gate, platform and dwell-time analysis
  • Contingency fleet sizing considers failures, maintenance cover and disruption risk

Participants can build operating cost models that identify transport cost drivers.

  • Fixed, variable, semi-variable and step costs classified for transport operations
  • Activity-based costing allocates overhead through measurable operational cost drivers
  • Vehicle-kilometres, tonne-kilometres and passenger-kilometres compared as cost units
  • Fuel and energy costs modelled using consumption rates and price scenarios
  • Maintenance costs separated into preventive, corrective and overhaul expenditure
  • Route contribution analysis compares revenue against avoidable operating costs

Participants can prepare transport operating budgets and assess funding requirements.

  • Operating budgets link service kilometres, staffing, fuel and maintenance assumptions
  • Capital budgets distinguish vehicle, infrastructure, systems and renewal expenditure
  • Subsidy requirements calculated from forecast revenue, cost and policy commitments
  • Rolling forecasts update financial expectations using actual operating performance
  • Cash flow timing considers fare receipts, supplier payments and grant milestones
  • Funding sources compared: fares, taxes, grants, debt and developer contributions

Participants can evaluate transport projects using financial and economic appraisal methods.

  • Discounted cash flow converts future costs and benefits into present values
  • Net present value compares investment options using stated discount rates
  • Internal rate of return interpreted alongside affordability and risk
  • Cost-benefit analysis values travel time, safety, emissions and reliability benefits
  • Benefit-cost ratios tested through sensitivity and switching-value analysis
  • Optimism bias and reference class forecasting challenge project assumptions

Participants can incorporate environmental, social and public-value effects into transport decisions.

  • External costs include congestion, emissions, noise, crashes and road wear
  • Marginal social cost pricing distinguishes private from public transport costs
  • Carbon accounting tracks fuel, electricity and construction-related emissions
  • Accessibility indicators assess access to jobs, services and education
  • Equity analysis identifies distributional effects across income and location groups
  • Mode-shift benefits quantified through reduced emissions, congestion and collisions

Participants can create KPI systems that connect transport performance to management action.

  • KPI trees connect strategic outcomes with service, asset and cost measures
  • On-time performance measured against published timetable and tolerance definitions
  • Reliability metrics track headway adherence, cancellations and missed trips
  • Cost per passenger-kilometre compared with budget, benchmark and trend
  • Control rooms use exception reporting to prioritise operational interventions
  • Balanced scorecards combine customer, financial, process and workforce indicators

Participants can assess lifecycle choices for fleets, facilities and transport infrastructure.

  • ISO 55000 principles link asset value, risk, cost and performance
  • Lifecycle cost models include acquisition, operation, maintenance, renewal and disposal
  • Condition-based maintenance uses inspection findings to trigger planned interventions
  • Reliability-centred maintenance matches tasks to functional failure consequences
  • Replacement timing compares maintenance escalation, downtime and residual value
  • Asset criticality ranking directs inspection, spares and contingency priorities

Participants can define procurement and contract approaches suited to transport service requirements.

  • Make-or-buy analysis compares internal delivery with outsourced transport services
  • Service specifications define routes, capacity, quality, safety and reporting requirements
  • Total cost of ownership evaluates bids beyond initial purchase price
  • Concession agreements allocate revenue, demand, asset and regulatory risks
  • Performance-based contracts link payment deductions to measurable service failures
  • Bid evaluation matrices score technical, financial, commercial and social criteria

Participants can manage operational risks affecting safe, reliable and financially sound transport delivery.

  • Risk registers record causes, consequences, controls, owners and review dates
  • Bow-tie analysis links transport hazards with preventive and recovery controls
  • Safety management systems connect reporting, investigation, assurance and learning
  • Business continuity plans address disruption from weather, failures and security incidents
  • Service recovery protocols prioritise passenger information, alternatives and resource deployment
  • Monte Carlo simulation tests cost and schedule uncertainty in major projects

Participants can frame transport decisions within regulatory duties, governance arrangements and stakeholder interests.

  • Economic regulation addresses market power, fare controls and service obligations
  • Governance structures define decision rights, escalation routes and assurance responsibilities
  • Regulatory impact assessment examines cost, benefit and implementation implications
  • Public consultation plans identify affected communities, businesses and representative bodies
  • Stakeholder influence-interest matrices guide engagement priorities and communication approaches
  • Board papers present options, recommendations, assumptions, risks and decision requests

Participants can build, review and present a complete transport operating and investment business case.

  • Problem statement defines demand, service, asset or financial performance gap
  • Demand forecast establishes base case, scenarios and critical assumptions
  • Operating model specifies network, fleet, crew, facilities and control arrangements
  • Financial model combines revenue, activity-based costs, funding and cash flow
  • Appraisal compares options using net present value and public benefits
  • Risk register, KPI plan and implementation roadmap support decision approval

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Transport demand forecasting register
  2. Route and service capacity plan
  3. Activity-based transport cost model
  4. Transport investment appraisal template
  5. Operational KPI dashboard specification
  6. Integrated transport business case

Who should attend

  • Transport Operations Managers — need to balance service reliability, capacity and operating cost
  • Public Transport Managers — need evidence for route, fare and service planning decisions
  • Logistics and Fleet Managers — need to quantify network, vehicle and contract economics
  • Transport Planners — need to translate demand forecasts into viable service plans
  • Infrastructure Project Managers — need to assess operational and financial consequences of investments
  • Policy and Regulatory Officers — need to evaluate fares, subsidies, concessions and public value

Skills and tools covered

Transport demand analysisOperating cost modellingInvestment appraisalService capacity planningTransport performance managementConcession contract evaluation

Tools and standards

Four-step travel demand model, Activity-based costing, Cost-benefit analysis, ISO 55000

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce economic concepts and management methods, followed by transport cases drawn from passenger, freight and infrastructure operations. Participants interpret demand data, calculate costs, compare investment options and make service planning decisions in small groups. Simulations test trade-offs between frequency, capacity, reliability, fares and budget limits. Guided application planning allows participants to adapt templates to a live route, fleet, terminal, logistics service or capital proposal. Facilitated reviews focus on assumptions, evidence quality and decision clarity.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience in transport, logistics, infrastructure, public services or operational management, and should be comfortable interpreting basic tables, charts and financial figures. Familiarity with their organisation's services, customers, assets or contracts will help them apply the methods directly. The course assumes no prior formal study of economics, econometrics or finance. Advanced spreadsheet modelling, statistical software, engineering design knowledge and prior experience with cost-benefit analysis are not required. Participants should bring a current transport, fleet, route, terminal or service issue they would like to assess.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have experience in a transport, logistics, infrastructure or operational role and be comfortable with basic numerical information. Formal economics, finance or statistical modelling study is not required.

Bring a current route, fleet, terminal, logistics, service contract or investment issue if possible. Useful materials include service data, budget figures, performance reports or a business case, subject to your organisation's confidentiality rules.

It is designed for managers and specialists responsible for transport services, fleets, logistics networks, infrastructure, planning, procurement or regulation. It also suits professionals moving into transport management from adjacent operational roles.

Transport planning courses commonly focus on network design, modelling and policy, while logistics courses often focus on warehousing and supply chains. This course combines transport economics with the managerial decisions required to run, fund, measure and improve services and assets.

Participants can apply the templates to review a route, calculate service costs, test fare or volume assumptions, assess an asset decision or prepare a funding proposal. The final business case gives a structured starting point for a live operational or investment decision.

The first week establishes demand, service design, capacity, cost and financial planning methods. The second week applies appraisal, performance, asset, procurement, risk and governance methods before participants complete and present their integrated transport business case.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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