S. Zhou, Q. Zhang

Pages: 105-116

Abstract
The development of China’s high-speed railway has attracted worldwide attention, while its operating performance has failed to meet expectations; revenue stays at a low level, which seriously affects the improvement of high-speed railway companies’ competitiveness, the financing for construction and the further development of railway. As the current business model of commissioned transport cannot be changed in the short term, this paper finds that the reason of low revenue is the inconsistency between the marketing benefited party and the responsibility party. Based on the principal-agent theory, this paper puts forward to the joint marketing strategy by the trustees and the entrusting parties; divides the areas of marketing responsibility and puts forward specific marketing tactics specifically from the perspectives of product, price, place and promotion according to the 4Ps theory, to improve passenger transport revenue of high-speed rail companies; use the non-transport business experience of foreign high-speed rail company for reference, to improve non-transport revenue of high-speed rail companies in China.

Keywords: business model of commissioned transport; high-speed rail company; revenue; marketing