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MOROCCAN RAIL TRANSPORT INVESTMENT: ACCUMULATION VERSUS LEGITIMATION
Author(s) -
STUBBS JOHN,
PEARSON RODNEY
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-9663
pISSN - 0040-747X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9663.1994.tb00683.x
Subject(s) - investment (military) , legitimation , equity (law) , colonialism , developing country , business , economy , economics , development economics , economic growth , political science , politics , law
Much geographical writing on the subject of rail transport and development has focused on railway expansion in the colonial era. Comparatively little attention has been given to the role of rail transport in the Third World in the post‐colonial era. Following recent World Bank‐financed efforts to rehabilitate the railways of many developing countries, this article attempts to provide some fresh analytical insights into rail transport investment in countries whose economies are becoming ever more dependent on international economic institutions. Moroccan Railways (ONCF) are considered as a specific case study. With reference to the structural adjustment programmes of the World Bank and IMF, this article seeks theoretical explanations for the substantial investment that occurred in Moroccan railways during the 1980s. The study shows that state investment in railways, while critical to Morocco's economic growth, has resulted in insufficient resources for social equity issues like health, housing and literacy.