Abstract Although the railway industry in general has been regulated as a natural monopoly, the rail transport has often faced some forms of competition. In particular, there has been direct competition within the railway market in Kansai Metropolitan Areas since 1920s. The aim of this paper is to investigate its past, present and future, with a particular focus on the price competition and cooperative behaviour. Key words railway market, competition, price competition, price-ceiling regula- tion, cooperative behaviour