The implementation of the Integrated Periodic Timetable in liberalised railway markets leads to the question of compatibility with self-sustaining services and the effective use of cost-intensive infrastructure.This doctoral thesis describes a holistic approach to combine the Integrated Periodic Timetable and competition in long-distance passenger services. System train paths, which are bundled and tendered as public service obligations, form the backbone of a clocked network-wide service. The feasibility of the concept is described in detail. First, the legal practicability of a priorisation of system train paths in the train path allocation is discussed. Subsequently, suitable parameters for system train paths are analysed and the feasibility on sections of the Austrian Southern and Western Line is demonstrated. Furthermore, a procedure for the formation of train path bundles is presented and applied in a test model. Finally, different award procedures are examined and a proposal for a stepwise tendering of long-distance railway networks is presented.The proposed procedure shows how customer benefits, competition and the effective use of infrastructure can be combined.weiterlesen