III КВАРТАЛ 2022Г. - 55 баллов
183.53256572981 monthAccess: 1
|Да|
According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
Array
(
[ID] => 109871
[~ID] => 109871
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[~IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[NAME] => The Country of High Speed
[~NAME] => The Country of High Speed
[ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[~TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5061/
[~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5061/
[LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[DETAIL_TEXT] => Plans and Realities
– Mr Gapanovich, tell us please, what were the core factors in choosing the directions for the speed and high-speed mainlines mentioned in the program?
– The whole complex of economic and technical parameters was examined. First, we paid attention to the presence of stable and solvent passenger transport demand when considering the direction of both the railway and alternative means of transport. The most populated regions of the country with the highest levels of population monetary income and expenditure were defined first of all, in view of their prospective social and economic development.
Among them are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. And in the sphere of international routes, priority has been given to Helsinki because the Russia - Finland passenger direction is now taking first place in total movements from the Russian Federation abroad (except the CIS, the Baltic countries and Georgia) and its share is 49 % (from the reported results for 2007).
Last year a total of 229,500 passengers used the St. Petersburg - Helsinki route. In comparison with 2006, the number of trips has grown 15%. Moreover, the forecasts are that, within seven years from the commencement of high-speed trains, the number of passengers between these two cities should increase two-fold.
Secondly, in choosing prospective lines, RZD management paid attention to the level of infrastructure investment needed to organise speed and high-speed passenger transport. For example, some of the prospective directions with significant volumes of passenger traffic had a complex route structure - in this case the cost of reconstructing these sections for high-speed passenger movements grows seriously, which makes realisation of these projects commercially ineffective.
Another important criterion for selection was the opportunity to attract additional volumes of passenger traffic from alternative means of transport by raising railway transport competitiveness on certain passenger transport directions by reducing journey times and by making improvements to the quality of service. For example, for distances of less than 700-1,000 km, at a comparatively low ticket cost, the journey time by high-speed train will be comparable to that by plane, when you add the trip to the airport, registration time, etc.
OAO RZD has already started building and construction work on the primary routes St. Petersburg - Helsinki, Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod. Very soon, new high-speed Pendolino and Sapsan trains will start to ply the route between these cities.
Their journey times will be about 3.5 hours. At the beginning of 2009, the feasibility report on the construction of the specialised high-speed railway mainline Moscow - St. Petersburg, with speeds of up to 400 kph and a run-time of about 2.5 hours, will be finished.
Design work on the Center – South (Moscow - Adler) direction, where prospective high-speed train run-times will be about 15.5 hours instead of the current 25 hours, is also being carried out. Also the organisational aspects of the Moscow - Minsk - Warsaw - Berlin high-speed route are being studied.
– What mechanisms, both financial and organisational, are planned to realise these projects?
– OAO RZD Management intends to use all possible financing schemes, in particular the company’s own resources, support from the Russian Federation Investment Fund and Federal Target Programs.
Thus, OAO RZD realises a lot of projects entirely at its own cost, in particular the organisation of high-speed passenger traffic in the Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod directions. Assignment of funds has been planned until 2010. Also, the work substantiating investment for the project “Construction of a High-Speed Passenger Railway Moscow - St. Petersburg” is being carried out from RZD’s own resources.
The sub-programme “Railway Transport” (a part of FTP “Development of Transport System of Russia (2010-2015)”) assumes that in 2010 the investments into the design and budget documentation are to be made from the Federal budget and Russian Railways’ own means.
At the same time the project “Organisation of Passenger High-Speed Movement Trains on the Section St. Petersburg - Helsinki” is being carried out by attracting funds from OAO RZD and the RF Investment Fund. In particular, the construction of a new branch from Losevo to Kamennogorsk, with the purpose of removing cargo traffic from the St. Petersburg to Buslovskaya line, is planned, paid for by the Investment Fund.
Full Speed Ahead – We Are Not Afraid of the Crisis
– What effects can the world financial crisis have on the realisation of this program?
– The program of speed and high-speed movement organisation on the Russian railway network to 2020 should be realised in full. The world financial crisis will certainly lead to some readjustment in 2009 and 2010. Simultaneously it is expected that projects which are carried out within the framework of the Public-Private Partnership (Investment Fund, Federal Target Programs) will be financed as a priority, in exact conformity with Russian Federation Government-approved schedules.
It is necessary to note that changes in the financing schedule for those projects which are being implemented together with the state can only be brought in by related decisions of the RF Government (Order About Making Changes in Passports of the Projects Which Are Carried Out With the Use of Budgetary Investments of the RF Investment Fund or Federal Target Program’s New Edition Approvals).
– It is no a secret that speed and high-speed movement is impossible without special trains. What are the main technical parameters determining selection of rolling stock suppliers for these mainlines?
– Before concluding contracts on the delivery of high-speed electric trains Velaro RUS from Siemens AG, and Pendolino Sm6 from Alstom, RZD experts performed a thorough analysis, looking at high-speed rolling stock the world over. Consultations and negotiations were conducted with many railway operators and manufacturers in this sector.
As a result, OAO RZD has taken the decision to use trains only with distributed traction capacity, with such characteristics as extra passenger capacity, better weight distribution balanced along the length of the train, lower specific weight per passenger and also the best traction conditions with a lowered clutch factor.
Analysis of the high-speed electric train market has shown that trains manufactured by Siemens AG on the Velaro platform match most precisely the key Russian requirements, and the rich international experience of Siemens AG has allowed it to adapt the Velaro to Russia’s operational conditions. The first train has already arrived in Russia and is now in the TCh-10 St. Petersburg -Moscow motor-carriage depot of the Octyabrskaya Railway. The solemn presentation of the first high-speed electric train “Sapsan” was held in St Petersburg in the middle of December 2008. This train should then pass its acceptance and certification tests, which will take about a year. The first commercial trip of “Sapsan” is planned for December 2009. The choice of a high-speed electric train manufacturer for the St. Petersburg - Helsinki line was made based on tender results, with the company Alstom emerging as winner. As regards other lines, OAO RZD is now working on choosing the prospective rolling stock suppliers.
In particular, in September 2008, a scientific and technical council met to hear the views of Russian and foreign diesel train manufacturers. Later there will be a tender to choose a diesel train manufacturer for the non-electric railway line sectors in Russia. Also, a tender for the delivery of electric trains for the organisation of a passenger transport railway system to serve the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 was announced at the end of November. The main parameters for choosing a rolling stock manufacturer remain the same: high quality, which should satisfy the specific needs of running trains in Russia and at a comprehensible cost.
– It is known that OAO RZD is simultaneously engaged in the construction project for a high-speed railway mainline between the two capitals – St. Petersburg and Moscow. What complexities are arising today during its realisation?
– This project is now at the preliminary design stage - the development of normative documentation and investment substantiation. OAO RZD’s Research and Project Institutes have already prepared the first draft of the technical requirements for the organisation of high-speed movement at speeds up to 400 kph. The next stage will be development of the documentation package to match the conditions of the Federal Law “About Technical Regulation”.
Today, preparation for investment substantiation – which should contain the basic design and technical decisions used for the construction of this high-speed mainline – is being carried out. An objective difficulty in implementing this task is the lack of experience in the design and construction of such lines in our country.
Although RZD is a recognised world leader in the field of mass cargo and passenger transport, high-speed projects in Russia have not been realised before. It is necessary to note that high-speed movement is a qualitative, revolutionary jump in the development of railway technologies. Therefore, it demands essentially new technical and technological decisions in the field of design, construction, railroad equipment and also the organisational know-how of high-speed movement.
Russian designers had no experience in realising such projects. At the same time, increased RZD requirements on safety, technical reliability and viability in complex climatic and operational conditions demanded deeper study into these problems. Marshy and over-crossed terrain and water-saturated ground demand construction of many overpasses, elevated railways, bridges and other artificial constructs. The geology of this region does not allow the use of traditional methods for such construction because, as has already been stated, the high-speed railway requires tougher standards on traffic safety, stability and reliability of design and also the fail-safe operation of equipment.
Window to Europe
– At what stage is the creation of the high-speed mainline St. Petersburg - Helsinki? How is the problem of the Vyborg detour being solved?
– In order to reduce the run-time on this way and to prepare the St. Petersburg - Buslovskaya line for Pendolino high-speed trains, railroad managers have worked out a plan of action for 2007-2009 that will allow trains to run at 200kph.
The estimated cost of this project is 79.7 billion roubles. Because of its international value, its large capital intensity and its small size, OAO RZD has requested and received support from the RF Investment Fund covering 35% of its investment (27.9 billion roubles). Financing of the project to this extent was approved by the RF Government in September 2008.
With state support to be provided during 2008-2010, cost recovery of the project – both for the company and for the budget – will be reached within ten years.
Currently, the creation of the cargo detour of the high-speed line is in its first stage – construction work for the second way on the Sosnovo - Losevo section is taking place. Trees have been cut down, the pathway cleared and the groundwork for 5km of railroad tracks laid. The ground here is weak, therefore 4m-deep foundation replacements are being made. Geotextiles are being laid and, in especially low places, geolattice. There are a few bogs on this section which require removal of peat down to a depth of 14m – and it will be carried out in winter conditions.
by Maria Shevchenko
[~DETAIL_TEXT] => Plans and Realities
– Mr Gapanovich, tell us please, what were the core factors in choosing the directions for the speed and high-speed mainlines mentioned in the program?
– The whole complex of economic and technical parameters was examined. First, we paid attention to the presence of stable and solvent passenger transport demand when considering the direction of both the railway and alternative means of transport. The most populated regions of the country with the highest levels of population monetary income and expenditure were defined first of all, in view of their prospective social and economic development.
Among them are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. And in the sphere of international routes, priority has been given to Helsinki because the Russia - Finland passenger direction is now taking first place in total movements from the Russian Federation abroad (except the CIS, the Baltic countries and Georgia) and its share is 49 % (from the reported results for 2007).
Last year a total of 229,500 passengers used the St. Petersburg - Helsinki route. In comparison with 2006, the number of trips has grown 15%. Moreover, the forecasts are that, within seven years from the commencement of high-speed trains, the number of passengers between these two cities should increase two-fold.
Secondly, in choosing prospective lines, RZD management paid attention to the level of infrastructure investment needed to organise speed and high-speed passenger transport. For example, some of the prospective directions with significant volumes of passenger traffic had a complex route structure - in this case the cost of reconstructing these sections for high-speed passenger movements grows seriously, which makes realisation of these projects commercially ineffective.
Another important criterion for selection was the opportunity to attract additional volumes of passenger traffic from alternative means of transport by raising railway transport competitiveness on certain passenger transport directions by reducing journey times and by making improvements to the quality of service. For example, for distances of less than 700-1,000 km, at a comparatively low ticket cost, the journey time by high-speed train will be comparable to that by plane, when you add the trip to the airport, registration time, etc.
OAO RZD has already started building and construction work on the primary routes St. Petersburg - Helsinki, Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod. Very soon, new high-speed Pendolino and Sapsan trains will start to ply the route between these cities.
Their journey times will be about 3.5 hours. At the beginning of 2009, the feasibility report on the construction of the specialised high-speed railway mainline Moscow - St. Petersburg, with speeds of up to 400 kph and a run-time of about 2.5 hours, will be finished.
Design work on the Center – South (Moscow - Adler) direction, where prospective high-speed train run-times will be about 15.5 hours instead of the current 25 hours, is also being carried out. Also the organisational aspects of the Moscow - Minsk - Warsaw - Berlin high-speed route are being studied.
– What mechanisms, both financial and organisational, are planned to realise these projects?
– OAO RZD Management intends to use all possible financing schemes, in particular the company’s own resources, support from the Russian Federation Investment Fund and Federal Target Programs.
Thus, OAO RZD realises a lot of projects entirely at its own cost, in particular the organisation of high-speed passenger traffic in the Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod directions. Assignment of funds has been planned until 2010. Also, the work substantiating investment for the project “Construction of a High-Speed Passenger Railway Moscow - St. Petersburg” is being carried out from RZD’s own resources.
The sub-programme “Railway Transport” (a part of FTP “Development of Transport System of Russia (2010-2015)”) assumes that in 2010 the investments into the design and budget documentation are to be made from the Federal budget and Russian Railways’ own means.
At the same time the project “Organisation of Passenger High-Speed Movement Trains on the Section St. Petersburg - Helsinki” is being carried out by attracting funds from OAO RZD and the RF Investment Fund. In particular, the construction of a new branch from Losevo to Kamennogorsk, with the purpose of removing cargo traffic from the St. Petersburg to Buslovskaya line, is planned, paid for by the Investment Fund.
Full Speed Ahead – We Are Not Afraid of the Crisis
– What effects can the world financial crisis have on the realisation of this program?
– The program of speed and high-speed movement organisation on the Russian railway network to 2020 should be realised in full. The world financial crisis will certainly lead to some readjustment in 2009 and 2010. Simultaneously it is expected that projects which are carried out within the framework of the Public-Private Partnership (Investment Fund, Federal Target Programs) will be financed as a priority, in exact conformity with Russian Federation Government-approved schedules.
It is necessary to note that changes in the financing schedule for those projects which are being implemented together with the state can only be brought in by related decisions of the RF Government (Order About Making Changes in Passports of the Projects Which Are Carried Out With the Use of Budgetary Investments of the RF Investment Fund or Federal Target Program’s New Edition Approvals).
– It is no a secret that speed and high-speed movement is impossible without special trains. What are the main technical parameters determining selection of rolling stock suppliers for these mainlines?
– Before concluding contracts on the delivery of high-speed electric trains Velaro RUS from Siemens AG, and Pendolino Sm6 from Alstom, RZD experts performed a thorough analysis, looking at high-speed rolling stock the world over. Consultations and negotiations were conducted with many railway operators and manufacturers in this sector.
As a result, OAO RZD has taken the decision to use trains only with distributed traction capacity, with such characteristics as extra passenger capacity, better weight distribution balanced along the length of the train, lower specific weight per passenger and also the best traction conditions with a lowered clutch factor.
Analysis of the high-speed electric train market has shown that trains manufactured by Siemens AG on the Velaro platform match most precisely the key Russian requirements, and the rich international experience of Siemens AG has allowed it to adapt the Velaro to Russia’s operational conditions. The first train has already arrived in Russia and is now in the TCh-10 St. Petersburg -Moscow motor-carriage depot of the Octyabrskaya Railway. The solemn presentation of the first high-speed electric train “Sapsan” was held in St Petersburg in the middle of December 2008. This train should then pass its acceptance and certification tests, which will take about a year. The first commercial trip of “Sapsan” is planned for December 2009. The choice of a high-speed electric train manufacturer for the St. Petersburg - Helsinki line was made based on tender results, with the company Alstom emerging as winner. As regards other lines, OAO RZD is now working on choosing the prospective rolling stock suppliers.
In particular, in September 2008, a scientific and technical council met to hear the views of Russian and foreign diesel train manufacturers. Later there will be a tender to choose a diesel train manufacturer for the non-electric railway line sectors in Russia. Also, a tender for the delivery of electric trains for the organisation of a passenger transport railway system to serve the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 was announced at the end of November. The main parameters for choosing a rolling stock manufacturer remain the same: high quality, which should satisfy the specific needs of running trains in Russia and at a comprehensible cost.
– It is known that OAO RZD is simultaneously engaged in the construction project for a high-speed railway mainline between the two capitals – St. Petersburg and Moscow. What complexities are arising today during its realisation?
– This project is now at the preliminary design stage - the development of normative documentation and investment substantiation. OAO RZD’s Research and Project Institutes have already prepared the first draft of the technical requirements for the organisation of high-speed movement at speeds up to 400 kph. The next stage will be development of the documentation package to match the conditions of the Federal Law “About Technical Regulation”.
Today, preparation for investment substantiation – which should contain the basic design and technical decisions used for the construction of this high-speed mainline – is being carried out. An objective difficulty in implementing this task is the lack of experience in the design and construction of such lines in our country.
Although RZD is a recognised world leader in the field of mass cargo and passenger transport, high-speed projects in Russia have not been realised before. It is necessary to note that high-speed movement is a qualitative, revolutionary jump in the development of railway technologies. Therefore, it demands essentially new technical and technological decisions in the field of design, construction, railroad equipment and also the organisational know-how of high-speed movement.
Russian designers had no experience in realising such projects. At the same time, increased RZD requirements on safety, technical reliability and viability in complex climatic and operational conditions demanded deeper study into these problems. Marshy and over-crossed terrain and water-saturated ground demand construction of many overpasses, elevated railways, bridges and other artificial constructs. The geology of this region does not allow the use of traditional methods for such construction because, as has already been stated, the high-speed railway requires tougher standards on traffic safety, stability and reliability of design and also the fail-safe operation of equipment.
Window to Europe
– At what stage is the creation of the high-speed mainline St. Petersburg - Helsinki? How is the problem of the Vyborg detour being solved?
– In order to reduce the run-time on this way and to prepare the St. Petersburg - Buslovskaya line for Pendolino high-speed trains, railroad managers have worked out a plan of action for 2007-2009 that will allow trains to run at 200kph.
The estimated cost of this project is 79.7 billion roubles. Because of its international value, its large capital intensity and its small size, OAO RZD has requested and received support from the RF Investment Fund covering 35% of its investment (27.9 billion roubles). Financing of the project to this extent was approved by the RF Government in September 2008.
With state support to be provided during 2008-2010, cost recovery of the project – both for the company and for the budget – will be reached within ten years.
Currently, the creation of the cargo detour of the high-speed line is in its first stage – construction work for the second way on the Sosnovo - Losevo section is taking place. Trees have been cut down, the pathway cleared and the groundwork for 5km of railroad tracks laid. The ground here is weak, therefore 4m-deep foundation replacements are being made. Geotextiles are being laid and, in especially low places, geolattice. There are a few bogs on this section which require removal of peat down to a depth of 14m – and it will be carried out in winter conditions.
by Maria Shevchenko
[DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_TEXT] => According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[~PREVIEW_TEXT] => According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[~PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[LANG_DIR] => /
[~LANG_DIR] => /
[CODE] => 5061
[~CODE] => 5061
[EXTERNAL_ID] => 5061
[~EXTERNAL_ID] => 5061
[IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[~IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[LID] => s1
[~LID] => s1
[EDIT_LINK] =>
[DELETE_LINK] =>
[DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[FIELDS] => Array
(
)
[PROPERTIES] => Array
(
[AUTHOR] => Array
(
[ID] => 97
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 400
[CODE] => AUTHOR
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => Y
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:97
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[AUTHOR_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 108
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор фото
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 410
[CODE] => AUTHOR_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор фото
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:108
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[ISSUE] => Array
(
[ID] => 93
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Выпуск
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ISSUE
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => E
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => Y
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Выпуск
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] => 105268
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:93
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] => 105268
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
)
[BLOG_POST_ID] => Array
(
[ID] => 94
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_POST_ID
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:94
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT] => Array
(
[ID] => 95
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Количество комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Количество комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:95
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[MORE_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 98
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => MORE_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => Y
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => jpg, gif, bmp, png, jpeg
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] =>
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[PUBLIC_ACCESS] => Array
(
[ID] => 110
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Открытый доступ
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => PUBLIC_ACCESS
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => L
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => C
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Открытый доступ
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:110
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM_ID] =>
)
[ATTACHED_PDF] => Array
(
[ID] => 324
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ATTACHED_PDF
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => pdf
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:324
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
)
[DISPLAY_PROPERTIES] => Array
(
)
[IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array
(
[SECTION_META_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_META_KEYWORDS] => the country of high speed
[SECTION_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/7.jpg" border="1" alt="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" title="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[ELEMENT_META_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_META_KEYWORDS] => the country of high speed
[ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/7.jpg" border="1" alt="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" title="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
)
)
Array
(
[ID] => 109871
[~ID] => 109871
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[~IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[NAME] => The Country of High Speed
[~NAME] => The Country of High Speed
[ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[~TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5061/
[~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5061/
[LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[DETAIL_TEXT] => Plans and Realities
– Mr Gapanovich, tell us please, what were the core factors in choosing the directions for the speed and high-speed mainlines mentioned in the program?
– The whole complex of economic and technical parameters was examined. First, we paid attention to the presence of stable and solvent passenger transport demand when considering the direction of both the railway and alternative means of transport. The most populated regions of the country with the highest levels of population monetary income and expenditure were defined first of all, in view of their prospective social and economic development.
Among them are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. And in the sphere of international routes, priority has been given to Helsinki because the Russia - Finland passenger direction is now taking first place in total movements from the Russian Federation abroad (except the CIS, the Baltic countries and Georgia) and its share is 49 % (from the reported results for 2007).
Last year a total of 229,500 passengers used the St. Petersburg - Helsinki route. In comparison with 2006, the number of trips has grown 15%. Moreover, the forecasts are that, within seven years from the commencement of high-speed trains, the number of passengers between these two cities should increase two-fold.
Secondly, in choosing prospective lines, RZD management paid attention to the level of infrastructure investment needed to organise speed and high-speed passenger transport. For example, some of the prospective directions with significant volumes of passenger traffic had a complex route structure - in this case the cost of reconstructing these sections for high-speed passenger movements grows seriously, which makes realisation of these projects commercially ineffective.
Another important criterion for selection was the opportunity to attract additional volumes of passenger traffic from alternative means of transport by raising railway transport competitiveness on certain passenger transport directions by reducing journey times and by making improvements to the quality of service. For example, for distances of less than 700-1,000 km, at a comparatively low ticket cost, the journey time by high-speed train will be comparable to that by plane, when you add the trip to the airport, registration time, etc.
OAO RZD has already started building and construction work on the primary routes St. Petersburg - Helsinki, Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod. Very soon, new high-speed Pendolino and Sapsan trains will start to ply the route between these cities.
Their journey times will be about 3.5 hours. At the beginning of 2009, the feasibility report on the construction of the specialised high-speed railway mainline Moscow - St. Petersburg, with speeds of up to 400 kph and a run-time of about 2.5 hours, will be finished.
Design work on the Center – South (Moscow - Adler) direction, where prospective high-speed train run-times will be about 15.5 hours instead of the current 25 hours, is also being carried out. Also the organisational aspects of the Moscow - Minsk - Warsaw - Berlin high-speed route are being studied.
– What mechanisms, both financial and organisational, are planned to realise these projects?
– OAO RZD Management intends to use all possible financing schemes, in particular the company’s own resources, support from the Russian Federation Investment Fund and Federal Target Programs.
Thus, OAO RZD realises a lot of projects entirely at its own cost, in particular the organisation of high-speed passenger traffic in the Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod directions. Assignment of funds has been planned until 2010. Also, the work substantiating investment for the project “Construction of a High-Speed Passenger Railway Moscow - St. Petersburg” is being carried out from RZD’s own resources.
The sub-programme “Railway Transport” (a part of FTP “Development of Transport System of Russia (2010-2015)”) assumes that in 2010 the investments into the design and budget documentation are to be made from the Federal budget and Russian Railways’ own means.
At the same time the project “Organisation of Passenger High-Speed Movement Trains on the Section St. Petersburg - Helsinki” is being carried out by attracting funds from OAO RZD and the RF Investment Fund. In particular, the construction of a new branch from Losevo to Kamennogorsk, with the purpose of removing cargo traffic from the St. Petersburg to Buslovskaya line, is planned, paid for by the Investment Fund.
Full Speed Ahead – We Are Not Afraid of the Crisis
– What effects can the world financial crisis have on the realisation of this program?
– The program of speed and high-speed movement organisation on the Russian railway network to 2020 should be realised in full. The world financial crisis will certainly lead to some readjustment in 2009 and 2010. Simultaneously it is expected that projects which are carried out within the framework of the Public-Private Partnership (Investment Fund, Federal Target Programs) will be financed as a priority, in exact conformity with Russian Federation Government-approved schedules.
It is necessary to note that changes in the financing schedule for those projects which are being implemented together with the state can only be brought in by related decisions of the RF Government (Order About Making Changes in Passports of the Projects Which Are Carried Out With the Use of Budgetary Investments of the RF Investment Fund or Federal Target Program’s New Edition Approvals).
– It is no a secret that speed and high-speed movement is impossible without special trains. What are the main technical parameters determining selection of rolling stock suppliers for these mainlines?
– Before concluding contracts on the delivery of high-speed electric trains Velaro RUS from Siemens AG, and Pendolino Sm6 from Alstom, RZD experts performed a thorough analysis, looking at high-speed rolling stock the world over. Consultations and negotiations were conducted with many railway operators and manufacturers in this sector.
As a result, OAO RZD has taken the decision to use trains only with distributed traction capacity, with such characteristics as extra passenger capacity, better weight distribution balanced along the length of the train, lower specific weight per passenger and also the best traction conditions with a lowered clutch factor.
Analysis of the high-speed electric train market has shown that trains manufactured by Siemens AG on the Velaro platform match most precisely the key Russian requirements, and the rich international experience of Siemens AG has allowed it to adapt the Velaro to Russia’s operational conditions. The first train has already arrived in Russia and is now in the TCh-10 St. Petersburg -Moscow motor-carriage depot of the Octyabrskaya Railway. The solemn presentation of the first high-speed electric train “Sapsan” was held in St Petersburg in the middle of December 2008. This train should then pass its acceptance and certification tests, which will take about a year. The first commercial trip of “Sapsan” is planned for December 2009. The choice of a high-speed electric train manufacturer for the St. Petersburg - Helsinki line was made based on tender results, with the company Alstom emerging as winner. As regards other lines, OAO RZD is now working on choosing the prospective rolling stock suppliers.
In particular, in September 2008, a scientific and technical council met to hear the views of Russian and foreign diesel train manufacturers. Later there will be a tender to choose a diesel train manufacturer for the non-electric railway line sectors in Russia. Also, a tender for the delivery of electric trains for the organisation of a passenger transport railway system to serve the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 was announced at the end of November. The main parameters for choosing a rolling stock manufacturer remain the same: high quality, which should satisfy the specific needs of running trains in Russia and at a comprehensible cost.
– It is known that OAO RZD is simultaneously engaged in the construction project for a high-speed railway mainline between the two capitals – St. Petersburg and Moscow. What complexities are arising today during its realisation?
– This project is now at the preliminary design stage - the development of normative documentation and investment substantiation. OAO RZD’s Research and Project Institutes have already prepared the first draft of the technical requirements for the organisation of high-speed movement at speeds up to 400 kph. The next stage will be development of the documentation package to match the conditions of the Federal Law “About Technical Regulation”.
Today, preparation for investment substantiation – which should contain the basic design and technical decisions used for the construction of this high-speed mainline – is being carried out. An objective difficulty in implementing this task is the lack of experience in the design and construction of such lines in our country.
Although RZD is a recognised world leader in the field of mass cargo and passenger transport, high-speed projects in Russia have not been realised before. It is necessary to note that high-speed movement is a qualitative, revolutionary jump in the development of railway technologies. Therefore, it demands essentially new technical and technological decisions in the field of design, construction, railroad equipment and also the organisational know-how of high-speed movement.
Russian designers had no experience in realising such projects. At the same time, increased RZD requirements on safety, technical reliability and viability in complex climatic and operational conditions demanded deeper study into these problems. Marshy and over-crossed terrain and water-saturated ground demand construction of many overpasses, elevated railways, bridges and other artificial constructs. The geology of this region does not allow the use of traditional methods for such construction because, as has already been stated, the high-speed railway requires tougher standards on traffic safety, stability and reliability of design and also the fail-safe operation of equipment.
Window to Europe
– At what stage is the creation of the high-speed mainline St. Petersburg - Helsinki? How is the problem of the Vyborg detour being solved?
– In order to reduce the run-time on this way and to prepare the St. Petersburg - Buslovskaya line for Pendolino high-speed trains, railroad managers have worked out a plan of action for 2007-2009 that will allow trains to run at 200kph.
The estimated cost of this project is 79.7 billion roubles. Because of its international value, its large capital intensity and its small size, OAO RZD has requested and received support from the RF Investment Fund covering 35% of its investment (27.9 billion roubles). Financing of the project to this extent was approved by the RF Government in September 2008.
With state support to be provided during 2008-2010, cost recovery of the project – both for the company and for the budget – will be reached within ten years.
Currently, the creation of the cargo detour of the high-speed line is in its first stage – construction work for the second way on the Sosnovo - Losevo section is taking place. Trees have been cut down, the pathway cleared and the groundwork for 5km of railroad tracks laid. The ground here is weak, therefore 4m-deep foundation replacements are being made. Geotextiles are being laid and, in especially low places, geolattice. There are a few bogs on this section which require removal of peat down to a depth of 14m – and it will be carried out in winter conditions.
by Maria Shevchenko
[~DETAIL_TEXT] => Plans and Realities
– Mr Gapanovich, tell us please, what were the core factors in choosing the directions for the speed and high-speed mainlines mentioned in the program?
– The whole complex of economic and technical parameters was examined. First, we paid attention to the presence of stable and solvent passenger transport demand when considering the direction of both the railway and alternative means of transport. The most populated regions of the country with the highest levels of population monetary income and expenditure were defined first of all, in view of their prospective social and economic development.
Among them are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. And in the sphere of international routes, priority has been given to Helsinki because the Russia - Finland passenger direction is now taking first place in total movements from the Russian Federation abroad (except the CIS, the Baltic countries and Georgia) and its share is 49 % (from the reported results for 2007).
Last year a total of 229,500 passengers used the St. Petersburg - Helsinki route. In comparison with 2006, the number of trips has grown 15%. Moreover, the forecasts are that, within seven years from the commencement of high-speed trains, the number of passengers between these two cities should increase two-fold.
Secondly, in choosing prospective lines, RZD management paid attention to the level of infrastructure investment needed to organise speed and high-speed passenger transport. For example, some of the prospective directions with significant volumes of passenger traffic had a complex route structure - in this case the cost of reconstructing these sections for high-speed passenger movements grows seriously, which makes realisation of these projects commercially ineffective.
Another important criterion for selection was the opportunity to attract additional volumes of passenger traffic from alternative means of transport by raising railway transport competitiveness on certain passenger transport directions by reducing journey times and by making improvements to the quality of service. For example, for distances of less than 700-1,000 km, at a comparatively low ticket cost, the journey time by high-speed train will be comparable to that by plane, when you add the trip to the airport, registration time, etc.
OAO RZD has already started building and construction work on the primary routes St. Petersburg - Helsinki, Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod. Very soon, new high-speed Pendolino and Sapsan trains will start to ply the route between these cities.
Their journey times will be about 3.5 hours. At the beginning of 2009, the feasibility report on the construction of the specialised high-speed railway mainline Moscow - St. Petersburg, with speeds of up to 400 kph and a run-time of about 2.5 hours, will be finished.
Design work on the Center – South (Moscow - Adler) direction, where prospective high-speed train run-times will be about 15.5 hours instead of the current 25 hours, is also being carried out. Also the organisational aspects of the Moscow - Minsk - Warsaw - Berlin high-speed route are being studied.
– What mechanisms, both financial and organisational, are planned to realise these projects?
– OAO RZD Management intends to use all possible financing schemes, in particular the company’s own resources, support from the Russian Federation Investment Fund and Federal Target Programs.
Thus, OAO RZD realises a lot of projects entirely at its own cost, in particular the organisation of high-speed passenger traffic in the Moscow - St. Petersburg and Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod directions. Assignment of funds has been planned until 2010. Also, the work substantiating investment for the project “Construction of a High-Speed Passenger Railway Moscow - St. Petersburg” is being carried out from RZD’s own resources.
The sub-programme “Railway Transport” (a part of FTP “Development of Transport System of Russia (2010-2015)”) assumes that in 2010 the investments into the design and budget documentation are to be made from the Federal budget and Russian Railways’ own means.
At the same time the project “Organisation of Passenger High-Speed Movement Trains on the Section St. Petersburg - Helsinki” is being carried out by attracting funds from OAO RZD and the RF Investment Fund. In particular, the construction of a new branch from Losevo to Kamennogorsk, with the purpose of removing cargo traffic from the St. Petersburg to Buslovskaya line, is planned, paid for by the Investment Fund.
Full Speed Ahead – We Are Not Afraid of the Crisis
– What effects can the world financial crisis have on the realisation of this program?
– The program of speed and high-speed movement organisation on the Russian railway network to 2020 should be realised in full. The world financial crisis will certainly lead to some readjustment in 2009 and 2010. Simultaneously it is expected that projects which are carried out within the framework of the Public-Private Partnership (Investment Fund, Federal Target Programs) will be financed as a priority, in exact conformity with Russian Federation Government-approved schedules.
It is necessary to note that changes in the financing schedule for those projects which are being implemented together with the state can only be brought in by related decisions of the RF Government (Order About Making Changes in Passports of the Projects Which Are Carried Out With the Use of Budgetary Investments of the RF Investment Fund or Federal Target Program’s New Edition Approvals).
– It is no a secret that speed and high-speed movement is impossible without special trains. What are the main technical parameters determining selection of rolling stock suppliers for these mainlines?
– Before concluding contracts on the delivery of high-speed electric trains Velaro RUS from Siemens AG, and Pendolino Sm6 from Alstom, RZD experts performed a thorough analysis, looking at high-speed rolling stock the world over. Consultations and negotiations were conducted with many railway operators and manufacturers in this sector.
As a result, OAO RZD has taken the decision to use trains only with distributed traction capacity, with such characteristics as extra passenger capacity, better weight distribution balanced along the length of the train, lower specific weight per passenger and also the best traction conditions with a lowered clutch factor.
Analysis of the high-speed electric train market has shown that trains manufactured by Siemens AG on the Velaro platform match most precisely the key Russian requirements, and the rich international experience of Siemens AG has allowed it to adapt the Velaro to Russia’s operational conditions. The first train has already arrived in Russia and is now in the TCh-10 St. Petersburg -Moscow motor-carriage depot of the Octyabrskaya Railway. The solemn presentation of the first high-speed electric train “Sapsan” was held in St Petersburg in the middle of December 2008. This train should then pass its acceptance and certification tests, which will take about a year. The first commercial trip of “Sapsan” is planned for December 2009. The choice of a high-speed electric train manufacturer for the St. Petersburg - Helsinki line was made based on tender results, with the company Alstom emerging as winner. As regards other lines, OAO RZD is now working on choosing the prospective rolling stock suppliers.
In particular, in September 2008, a scientific and technical council met to hear the views of Russian and foreign diesel train manufacturers. Later there will be a tender to choose a diesel train manufacturer for the non-electric railway line sectors in Russia. Also, a tender for the delivery of electric trains for the organisation of a passenger transport railway system to serve the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 was announced at the end of November. The main parameters for choosing a rolling stock manufacturer remain the same: high quality, which should satisfy the specific needs of running trains in Russia and at a comprehensible cost.
– It is known that OAO RZD is simultaneously engaged in the construction project for a high-speed railway mainline between the two capitals – St. Petersburg and Moscow. What complexities are arising today during its realisation?
– This project is now at the preliminary design stage - the development of normative documentation and investment substantiation. OAO RZD’s Research and Project Institutes have already prepared the first draft of the technical requirements for the organisation of high-speed movement at speeds up to 400 kph. The next stage will be development of the documentation package to match the conditions of the Federal Law “About Technical Regulation”.
Today, preparation for investment substantiation – which should contain the basic design and technical decisions used for the construction of this high-speed mainline – is being carried out. An objective difficulty in implementing this task is the lack of experience in the design and construction of such lines in our country.
Although RZD is a recognised world leader in the field of mass cargo and passenger transport, high-speed projects in Russia have not been realised before. It is necessary to note that high-speed movement is a qualitative, revolutionary jump in the development of railway technologies. Therefore, it demands essentially new technical and technological decisions in the field of design, construction, railroad equipment and also the organisational know-how of high-speed movement.
Russian designers had no experience in realising such projects. At the same time, increased RZD requirements on safety, technical reliability and viability in complex climatic and operational conditions demanded deeper study into these problems. Marshy and over-crossed terrain and water-saturated ground demand construction of many overpasses, elevated railways, bridges and other artificial constructs. The geology of this region does not allow the use of traditional methods for such construction because, as has already been stated, the high-speed railway requires tougher standards on traffic safety, stability and reliability of design and also the fail-safe operation of equipment.
Window to Europe
– At what stage is the creation of the high-speed mainline St. Petersburg - Helsinki? How is the problem of the Vyborg detour being solved?
– In order to reduce the run-time on this way and to prepare the St. Petersburg - Buslovskaya line for Pendolino high-speed trains, railroad managers have worked out a plan of action for 2007-2009 that will allow trains to run at 200kph.
The estimated cost of this project is 79.7 billion roubles. Because of its international value, its large capital intensity and its small size, OAO RZD has requested and received support from the RF Investment Fund covering 35% of its investment (27.9 billion roubles). Financing of the project to this extent was approved by the RF Government in September 2008.
With state support to be provided during 2008-2010, cost recovery of the project – both for the company and for the budget – will be reached within ten years.
Currently, the creation of the cargo detour of the high-speed line is in its first stage – construction work for the second way on the Sosnovo - Losevo section is taking place. Trees have been cut down, the pathway cleared and the groundwork for 5km of railroad tracks laid. The ground here is weak, therefore 4m-deep foundation replacements are being made. Geotextiles are being laid and, in especially low places, geolattice. There are a few bogs on this section which require removal of peat down to a depth of 14m – and it will be carried out in winter conditions.
by Maria Shevchenko
[DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_TEXT] => According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[~PREVIEW_TEXT] => According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[~PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[LANG_DIR] => /
[~LANG_DIR] => /
[CODE] => 5061
[~CODE] => 5061
[EXTERNAL_ID] => 5061
[~EXTERNAL_ID] => 5061
[IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[~IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[LID] => s1
[~LID] => s1
[EDIT_LINK] =>
[DELETE_LINK] =>
[DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[FIELDS] => Array
(
)
[PROPERTIES] => Array
(
[AUTHOR] => Array
(
[ID] => 97
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 400
[CODE] => AUTHOR
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => Y
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:97
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[AUTHOR_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 108
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор фото
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 410
[CODE] => AUTHOR_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор фото
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:108
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[ISSUE] => Array
(
[ID] => 93
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Выпуск
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ISSUE
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => E
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => Y
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Выпуск
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] => 105268
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:93
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] => 105268
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
)
[BLOG_POST_ID] => Array
(
[ID] => 94
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_POST_ID
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:94
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT] => Array
(
[ID] => 95
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Количество комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Количество комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:95
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[MORE_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 98
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => MORE_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => Y
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => jpg, gif, bmp, png, jpeg
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] =>
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[PUBLIC_ACCESS] => Array
(
[ID] => 110
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Открытый доступ
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => PUBLIC_ACCESS
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => L
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => C
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Открытый доступ
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:110
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM_ID] =>
)
[ATTACHED_PDF] => Array
(
[ID] => 324
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ATTACHED_PDF
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => pdf
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109871:324
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
)
[DISPLAY_PROPERTIES] => Array
(
)
[IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array
(
[SECTION_META_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_META_KEYWORDS] => the country of high speed
[SECTION_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/7.jpg" border="1" alt="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" title="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[ELEMENT_META_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_META_KEYWORDS] => the country of high speed
[ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/7.jpg" border="1" alt="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" title="VALENTIN GAPANOVICH" hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />According to the approved Speed and High-Speed Movement on Russian Railway Network Organisation Program to 2020, up to 1,500 km of high-speed mainline railway will be built in the country. OAO RZD Senior Vice-President Mr VALENTIN GAPANOVICH tells us how this program will be realised and what changes may be needed as a result of the financial crisis.
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => The Country of High Speed
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => The Country of High Speed
)
)
The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.Array
(
[ID] => 109870
[~ID] => 109870
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[~IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[NAME] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[~NAME] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[~TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5060/
[~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5060/
[LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[DETAIL_TEXT] => The Crisis Has Corrected Plans
For the past two years, Russian transport has been suffering a very serious deficiency in new technical devices. “The situation that has developed in the cargo wagon-building market could be defined by the words ‘a seller’s market’. The main features of such a market are: a lack of production, reduced quality requirements, constantly growing prices, low competition levels shown by the narrow and technologically out-of-date range of products, absence of manufacturer guarantees and after-sales services,” states Felix Blinov, Director General of “РВМ” Investment Group. He says that, despite the annual 15-20% growth in domestic production and increasing cargo wagon import volumes – mainly from the Ukraine, the shortage of new types of cargo rolling stock was obvious.
The Sales & Marketing Assistant to the General Director of the Ural Wagon-Building Plant, Sergey Kolosok, notes that as a result, by the beginning of the crisis the situation in the cargo wagon-building market was that demand considerably exceeded supply in most cases. Moreover, in the opinion of industry experts, based on the real needs and existing wagon-building capacities, a high demand for cargo wagons had to continue for at least another three-five years, stabilising by 2010.
Instead, the growing financial crisis has started to affect all new aspects of national economic life. Buyers have practically deserted the wagon-building market. Valery Shpakov, the General Director of “Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya” (Globaltrans Group of Companies) observes: “At present, the supply from factories to provide customers with cargo rolling stock is more than the demand, which differs sharply from the situation at the beginning of 2008, when there was a considerable shortage of gondolas.”
“Prices for rolling stock and accessories are going down. Because the cost of building materials in the price of the wagon is not less than 84-86%, it is no wonder that the cost of ready-made rolling stock decreases. Thus, if in July-August 2008, the price for a gondola was 2.5 million roubles, now it has fallen to 2 million,” says “The Mordovia Wagon-Building Company”. Experts emphasise that this problem concerns both the primary and secondary segments of the wagon-building industry. “Prices are falling for all kinds of rolling stock – new and second-hand. The average cost fluctuation is about 15-20%, or $15,000 – $20,000 per wagon. As a result, if before the price of a new gondola was about $100,000, then today it has decreased to $80,000 per unit, and it has not yet reached its limit,” Igor Tyagunov, the Technical Director of the Company “Firm “Transgarant“ also adds.
Falling costs also affect specialised wagons. So wagon-builders forecast that the demand for cement-carriers in 2009 will fall more than halve in comparison with 2008, and that should affect the price. “The evidence for this tendency in the price reduction for new cargo wagons is the falling of prices for hopper mineral-carriers,” says Mr Shpakov.
“Today we are considering alternatives to sell more than 500 gondolas on our balance sheet, because it has become unprofitable to keep them. The reason is that their running lease rate decreased twice last month,” admits one Russian private operator.
Meanwhile both wagon-builders and operators state with regret that they do not see “the balance between the demand and the supply” on the market (in other words, there is no wish by private traders to increase their wagon stock). On the one hand falling prices, first of all for raw materials and then for the production of machine engineering, will allow for the establishment of normal correlations between goods prices which have been artificially raised by speculation on the stock exchange, and their real cost, and thus put them in their proper places. On the other hand, as participants of the market note, the crisis started with the banks and has led to the disappearance of the inter-bank crediting sector.
It is necessary to note that, although the price of wagons has fallen over the past few months, there is no activity among buyers because they do not have money and today’s annual credit rate is 30%, something manufacturers emphasise. As a result, buyers of machine-building products who were financed by small banks have appeared to be cut off from opportunities to obtain loans and the whole chain, from purchasing of necessary material assets for manufacturing to sales of finished goods, has been broken. It has led to the situation where the majority of companies have lost much of their resources because of the crisis and now they can neither receive credit nor find new capital.
“Toughening conditions and a sharp decrease in credit (this is how the government struggled with inflation and the crisis) have struck both buyers, to which credit became inaccessible (because the rates have increased), and sellers. Operators have lost the opportunity to get rolling stock and wagon-builders cannot find credit to finish orders. The problem is that the majority of companies do not have enough of their own resources and it is almost impossible to get a loan. The banks are now refusing credit to all participants in the market or demanding such a high premium for their loans that any advantage from project investment is reduced to a minimum,” says the Wagon-Building Company of Mordovia.
Ukraine Suffers More Than Others
An even more difficult situation has developed in the transport sector of Ukraine, where wagon-building factories suffer from delays of payments by Ukrzaliznytsya and Russian Railways for their products. Analysts have worked out that the stock exchange price for the whole Kryukov Wagon Building Plant in November was equal to the price of only 350 carriages. As a result, despite a typically sharp CIS country shortage of rolling stock, for the next year there is no prospect of an essential increase in purchases from Ukranian enterprises. Purchasing volumes in 2009 will depend on the need for cargo transportation, which is influenced by the dynamics of industrial production.
“Pre-conditions to the reduction in demand became literally visible in October, when a number of enterprises in the country, including metallurgical plants, declared a reduction in their production volumes. So far the economic symptoms are disturbing,” Sergey Lelekov, the Managing Partner of Brunswick Rail Leasing has explained.
Russian experts consider that the sharp reduction in prices for metallurgical production, which underlies wagon-building, has affected the Ukrainian industry first. The rate of price decreases for certain types of metals is reaching 50% and some enterprises in this industry are ready to switch off their machines. Besides, Ukrainian enterprises are focused on the Russian commodity market because rolling stock consumption for their own needs is extremely insignificant. Experts comment that the situation is not yet that critical among domestic wagon-building enterprises, which means that there is no overstocking or serious problem with selling home-produced engineering units.
...But Nevertheless a Successful Time?
Struggling with this developing situation, market participants – in particular operators – set out a plan of action to offer the Russian Ministry of Transport with the aim of protecting the wagon-building industry. In particular, Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya considers that effective state measures to support investment in rolling stock and to keep Russia’s wagon-building output can be achieved by subsidising part of the interest rate; mainly in cases where credit had been received for purchasing new Russian-produced railway cargo wagons and leasing contracts for similar purposes.
Companies believe that the crisis in transportation can appear to be an appropriate time to replace the worn-out RZD park and to activate the use of private rolling stock. “A gradual reduction of the existing RZD park, the majority of which has limited service life, continues this year. Serious competition to the operator companies has been introduced by the recently created First Cargo Company,” Sergey Makarov, the Deputy Chief of the “BaltTransService” Wagon Department is convinced. His opinion is that there is also a very large number of cargo wagons operating on the territories of the former USSR. He considers that, among measures to support the wagon industry there can probably be a restriction on rolling stock from other countries entering Russian territory.
By Maria Shevchenko
viewpoint
Valery Shpakov,
General Director of OAO Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya (Globaltrans Group):
– The cost of cargo wagons did not change from August to October 2008. But this was only due to the fact that wagon-building plants were carrying out their obligations to clients under contracts concluded between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. But falling costs for moulding wagons only began in October, and will lead to cost reductions for new cargo wagon produced in November and later.
Sergey Makarov,
Deputy Chief of Wagon Department, OOO BaltTransService:
– A certain shortage of rolling stock for the transportation of bulk-oil cargoes was still observed in August and even at the beginning of September. But it was in October, when transportation volumes fell, that the overabundance of wagons started to become so serious. Thus, the question of using rolling stock rationally and its maintenance has demanded important changes in the pricing policies of this manufacturing sector and in the sale of spare parts for cargo wagons, especially in large-scale railway moulding, which in July-August reached 30-35% of the total cost of a new wagon.
Igor Tyagunov,
Technical Director of OOO “Firm “Transgarant”:
– One cannot make a confident statement that a price reduction will lead to an increase in purchasing volumes of rolling stock by operators. The issue is that the demand for our services decreases as much as wagon prices. Now a surplus of rolling stock in the country is obvious. Simultaneously, in crisis conditions banks give out credits extremely reluctantly and demand too high a percentage in return. It is necessary to notice the difficult state of affairs in wagon manufacturing, which had been dictating conditions to all buyers, compelling them to pay unimaginable sums for rolling stock in the course of the previous two years. However, it is most likely that the Russian Government will support our machine engineers and, probably, will subsidise the purchasing of wagons in order to soften the blow of failing manufacturing in this sector of industry.
OUR REFERENCE
The total cargo wagon park in the CIS and Baltic countries this year is 1,393,960 units. Most of these are half-wagons with an average age exceeding 20 years – the specified service life limit is 22 years. Serious deterioration is obvious in other types of rolling stock too.
Thus, more than 300,000 wagons with an expired service life are now in use on the railroads of the CIS and Baltic States. In particular, the average age of the OAO RZD’s rolling stock exceeds 20 years, with deterioration reaching 75%. Some 80% of the wagons in the Ukrainian park are worn out. The reasons for such a situation is the production slump in wagon-building connected with the general economic crisis in Russia and the CIS in the 1990s, which led to a drastic reduction in rail transportation volumes. So in 1998, the production volume of cargo wagons was a sixth of 1990 levels, and at some wagon-building factories had fallen practically to zero. A crucial reduction in the park was the consequence. After that, for the same reason, financing of wagon-building development and modernisation was reduced. As a result of such depressing parameters, by 2015 more than 600,000 wagons will be taken off the inventory lists. And the necessary annual addition to the park should be at least 80,000 units.
[~DETAIL_TEXT] => The Crisis Has Corrected Plans
For the past two years, Russian transport has been suffering a very serious deficiency in new technical devices. “The situation that has developed in the cargo wagon-building market could be defined by the words ‘a seller’s market’. The main features of such a market are: a lack of production, reduced quality requirements, constantly growing prices, low competition levels shown by the narrow and technologically out-of-date range of products, absence of manufacturer guarantees and after-sales services,” states Felix Blinov, Director General of “РВМ” Investment Group. He says that, despite the annual 15-20% growth in domestic production and increasing cargo wagon import volumes – mainly from the Ukraine, the shortage of new types of cargo rolling stock was obvious.
The Sales & Marketing Assistant to the General Director of the Ural Wagon-Building Plant, Sergey Kolosok, notes that as a result, by the beginning of the crisis the situation in the cargo wagon-building market was that demand considerably exceeded supply in most cases. Moreover, in the opinion of industry experts, based on the real needs and existing wagon-building capacities, a high demand for cargo wagons had to continue for at least another three-five years, stabilising by 2010.
Instead, the growing financial crisis has started to affect all new aspects of national economic life. Buyers have practically deserted the wagon-building market. Valery Shpakov, the General Director of “Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya” (Globaltrans Group of Companies) observes: “At present, the supply from factories to provide customers with cargo rolling stock is more than the demand, which differs sharply from the situation at the beginning of 2008, when there was a considerable shortage of gondolas.”
“Prices for rolling stock and accessories are going down. Because the cost of building materials in the price of the wagon is not less than 84-86%, it is no wonder that the cost of ready-made rolling stock decreases. Thus, if in July-August 2008, the price for a gondola was 2.5 million roubles, now it has fallen to 2 million,” says “The Mordovia Wagon-Building Company”. Experts emphasise that this problem concerns both the primary and secondary segments of the wagon-building industry. “Prices are falling for all kinds of rolling stock – new and second-hand. The average cost fluctuation is about 15-20%, or $15,000 – $20,000 per wagon. As a result, if before the price of a new gondola was about $100,000, then today it has decreased to $80,000 per unit, and it has not yet reached its limit,” Igor Tyagunov, the Technical Director of the Company “Firm “Transgarant“ also adds.
Falling costs also affect specialised wagons. So wagon-builders forecast that the demand for cement-carriers in 2009 will fall more than halve in comparison with 2008, and that should affect the price. “The evidence for this tendency in the price reduction for new cargo wagons is the falling of prices for hopper mineral-carriers,” says Mr Shpakov.
“Today we are considering alternatives to sell more than 500 gondolas on our balance sheet, because it has become unprofitable to keep them. The reason is that their running lease rate decreased twice last month,” admits one Russian private operator.
Meanwhile both wagon-builders and operators state with regret that they do not see “the balance between the demand and the supply” on the market (in other words, there is no wish by private traders to increase their wagon stock). On the one hand falling prices, first of all for raw materials and then for the production of machine engineering, will allow for the establishment of normal correlations between goods prices which have been artificially raised by speculation on the stock exchange, and their real cost, and thus put them in their proper places. On the other hand, as participants of the market note, the crisis started with the banks and has led to the disappearance of the inter-bank crediting sector.
It is necessary to note that, although the price of wagons has fallen over the past few months, there is no activity among buyers because they do not have money and today’s annual credit rate is 30%, something manufacturers emphasise. As a result, buyers of machine-building products who were financed by small banks have appeared to be cut off from opportunities to obtain loans and the whole chain, from purchasing of necessary material assets for manufacturing to sales of finished goods, has been broken. It has led to the situation where the majority of companies have lost much of their resources because of the crisis and now they can neither receive credit nor find new capital.
“Toughening conditions and a sharp decrease in credit (this is how the government struggled with inflation and the crisis) have struck both buyers, to which credit became inaccessible (because the rates have increased), and sellers. Operators have lost the opportunity to get rolling stock and wagon-builders cannot find credit to finish orders. The problem is that the majority of companies do not have enough of their own resources and it is almost impossible to get a loan. The banks are now refusing credit to all participants in the market or demanding such a high premium for their loans that any advantage from project investment is reduced to a minimum,” says the Wagon-Building Company of Mordovia.
Ukraine Suffers More Than Others
An even more difficult situation has developed in the transport sector of Ukraine, where wagon-building factories suffer from delays of payments by Ukrzaliznytsya and Russian Railways for their products. Analysts have worked out that the stock exchange price for the whole Kryukov Wagon Building Plant in November was equal to the price of only 350 carriages. As a result, despite a typically sharp CIS country shortage of rolling stock, for the next year there is no prospect of an essential increase in purchases from Ukranian enterprises. Purchasing volumes in 2009 will depend on the need for cargo transportation, which is influenced by the dynamics of industrial production.
“Pre-conditions to the reduction in demand became literally visible in October, when a number of enterprises in the country, including metallurgical plants, declared a reduction in their production volumes. So far the economic symptoms are disturbing,” Sergey Lelekov, the Managing Partner of Brunswick Rail Leasing has explained.
Russian experts consider that the sharp reduction in prices for metallurgical production, which underlies wagon-building, has affected the Ukrainian industry first. The rate of price decreases for certain types of metals is reaching 50% and some enterprises in this industry are ready to switch off their machines. Besides, Ukrainian enterprises are focused on the Russian commodity market because rolling stock consumption for their own needs is extremely insignificant. Experts comment that the situation is not yet that critical among domestic wagon-building enterprises, which means that there is no overstocking or serious problem with selling home-produced engineering units.
...But Nevertheless a Successful Time?
Struggling with this developing situation, market participants – in particular operators – set out a plan of action to offer the Russian Ministry of Transport with the aim of protecting the wagon-building industry. In particular, Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya considers that effective state measures to support investment in rolling stock and to keep Russia’s wagon-building output can be achieved by subsidising part of the interest rate; mainly in cases where credit had been received for purchasing new Russian-produced railway cargo wagons and leasing contracts for similar purposes.
Companies believe that the crisis in transportation can appear to be an appropriate time to replace the worn-out RZD park and to activate the use of private rolling stock. “A gradual reduction of the existing RZD park, the majority of which has limited service life, continues this year. Serious competition to the operator companies has been introduced by the recently created First Cargo Company,” Sergey Makarov, the Deputy Chief of the “BaltTransService” Wagon Department is convinced. His opinion is that there is also a very large number of cargo wagons operating on the territories of the former USSR. He considers that, among measures to support the wagon industry there can probably be a restriction on rolling stock from other countries entering Russian territory.
By Maria Shevchenko
viewpoint
Valery Shpakov,
General Director of OAO Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya (Globaltrans Group):
– The cost of cargo wagons did not change from August to October 2008. But this was only due to the fact that wagon-building plants were carrying out their obligations to clients under contracts concluded between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. But falling costs for moulding wagons only began in October, and will lead to cost reductions for new cargo wagon produced in November and later.
Sergey Makarov,
Deputy Chief of Wagon Department, OOO BaltTransService:
– A certain shortage of rolling stock for the transportation of bulk-oil cargoes was still observed in August and even at the beginning of September. But it was in October, when transportation volumes fell, that the overabundance of wagons started to become so serious. Thus, the question of using rolling stock rationally and its maintenance has demanded important changes in the pricing policies of this manufacturing sector and in the sale of spare parts for cargo wagons, especially in large-scale railway moulding, which in July-August reached 30-35% of the total cost of a new wagon.
Igor Tyagunov,
Technical Director of OOO “Firm “Transgarant”:
– One cannot make a confident statement that a price reduction will lead to an increase in purchasing volumes of rolling stock by operators. The issue is that the demand for our services decreases as much as wagon prices. Now a surplus of rolling stock in the country is obvious. Simultaneously, in crisis conditions banks give out credits extremely reluctantly and demand too high a percentage in return. It is necessary to notice the difficult state of affairs in wagon manufacturing, which had been dictating conditions to all buyers, compelling them to pay unimaginable sums for rolling stock in the course of the previous two years. However, it is most likely that the Russian Government will support our machine engineers and, probably, will subsidise the purchasing of wagons in order to soften the blow of failing manufacturing in this sector of industry.
OUR REFERENCE
The total cargo wagon park in the CIS and Baltic countries this year is 1,393,960 units. Most of these are half-wagons with an average age exceeding 20 years – the specified service life limit is 22 years. Serious deterioration is obvious in other types of rolling stock too.
Thus, more than 300,000 wagons with an expired service life are now in use on the railroads of the CIS and Baltic States. In particular, the average age of the OAO RZD’s rolling stock exceeds 20 years, with deterioration reaching 75%. Some 80% of the wagons in the Ukrainian park are worn out. The reasons for such a situation is the production slump in wagon-building connected with the general economic crisis in Russia and the CIS in the 1990s, which led to a drastic reduction in rail transportation volumes. So in 1998, the production volume of cargo wagons was a sixth of 1990 levels, and at some wagon-building factories had fallen practically to zero. A crucial reduction in the park was the consequence. After that, for the same reason, financing of wagon-building development and modernisation was reduced. As a result of such depressing parameters, by 2015 more than 600,000 wagons will be taken off the inventory lists. And the necessary annual addition to the park should be at least 80,000 units.
[DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_TEXT] => The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[~PREVIEW_TEXT] => The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[~PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[LANG_DIR] => /
[~LANG_DIR] => /
[CODE] => 5060
[~CODE] => 5060
[EXTERNAL_ID] => 5060
[~EXTERNAL_ID] => 5060
[IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[~IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[LID] => s1
[~LID] => s1
[EDIT_LINK] =>
[DELETE_LINK] =>
[DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[FIELDS] => Array
(
)
[PROPERTIES] => Array
(
[AUTHOR] => Array
(
[ID] => 97
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 400
[CODE] => AUTHOR
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => Y
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:97
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[AUTHOR_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 108
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор фото
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 410
[CODE] => AUTHOR_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор фото
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:108
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[ISSUE] => Array
(
[ID] => 93
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Выпуск
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ISSUE
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => E
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => Y
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Выпуск
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] => 105268
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:93
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] => 105268
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
)
[BLOG_POST_ID] => Array
(
[ID] => 94
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_POST_ID
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:94
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT] => Array
(
[ID] => 95
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Количество комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Количество комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:95
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[MORE_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 98
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => MORE_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => Y
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => jpg, gif, bmp, png, jpeg
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] =>
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[PUBLIC_ACCESS] => Array
(
[ID] => 110
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Открытый доступ
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => PUBLIC_ACCESS
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => L
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => C
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Открытый доступ
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:110
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM_ID] =>
)
[ATTACHED_PDF] => Array
(
[ID] => 324
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ATTACHED_PDF
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => pdf
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:324
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
)
[DISPLAY_PROPERTIES] => Array
(
)
[IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array
(
[SECTION_META_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_META_KEYWORDS] => wagon building: a slight correction, stagnation or recession?
[SECTION_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/3.jpg" border="1" alt=" " hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[ELEMENT_META_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_META_KEYWORDS] => wagon building: a slight correction, stagnation or recession?
[ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/3.jpg" border="1" alt=" " hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
)
)
Array
(
[ID] => 109870
[~ID] => 109870
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[~IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[NAME] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[~NAME] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[~TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5060/
[~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5060/
[LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[DETAIL_TEXT] => The Crisis Has Corrected Plans
For the past two years, Russian transport has been suffering a very serious deficiency in new technical devices. “The situation that has developed in the cargo wagon-building market could be defined by the words ‘a seller’s market’. The main features of such a market are: a lack of production, reduced quality requirements, constantly growing prices, low competition levels shown by the narrow and technologically out-of-date range of products, absence of manufacturer guarantees and after-sales services,” states Felix Blinov, Director General of “РВМ” Investment Group. He says that, despite the annual 15-20% growth in domestic production and increasing cargo wagon import volumes – mainly from the Ukraine, the shortage of new types of cargo rolling stock was obvious.
The Sales & Marketing Assistant to the General Director of the Ural Wagon-Building Plant, Sergey Kolosok, notes that as a result, by the beginning of the crisis the situation in the cargo wagon-building market was that demand considerably exceeded supply in most cases. Moreover, in the opinion of industry experts, based on the real needs and existing wagon-building capacities, a high demand for cargo wagons had to continue for at least another three-five years, stabilising by 2010.
Instead, the growing financial crisis has started to affect all new aspects of national economic life. Buyers have practically deserted the wagon-building market. Valery Shpakov, the General Director of “Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya” (Globaltrans Group of Companies) observes: “At present, the supply from factories to provide customers with cargo rolling stock is more than the demand, which differs sharply from the situation at the beginning of 2008, when there was a considerable shortage of gondolas.”
“Prices for rolling stock and accessories are going down. Because the cost of building materials in the price of the wagon is not less than 84-86%, it is no wonder that the cost of ready-made rolling stock decreases. Thus, if in July-August 2008, the price for a gondola was 2.5 million roubles, now it has fallen to 2 million,” says “The Mordovia Wagon-Building Company”. Experts emphasise that this problem concerns both the primary and secondary segments of the wagon-building industry. “Prices are falling for all kinds of rolling stock – new and second-hand. The average cost fluctuation is about 15-20%, or $15,000 – $20,000 per wagon. As a result, if before the price of a new gondola was about $100,000, then today it has decreased to $80,000 per unit, and it has not yet reached its limit,” Igor Tyagunov, the Technical Director of the Company “Firm “Transgarant“ also adds.
Falling costs also affect specialised wagons. So wagon-builders forecast that the demand for cement-carriers in 2009 will fall more than halve in comparison with 2008, and that should affect the price. “The evidence for this tendency in the price reduction for new cargo wagons is the falling of prices for hopper mineral-carriers,” says Mr Shpakov.
“Today we are considering alternatives to sell more than 500 gondolas on our balance sheet, because it has become unprofitable to keep them. The reason is that their running lease rate decreased twice last month,” admits one Russian private operator.
Meanwhile both wagon-builders and operators state with regret that they do not see “the balance between the demand and the supply” on the market (in other words, there is no wish by private traders to increase their wagon stock). On the one hand falling prices, first of all for raw materials and then for the production of machine engineering, will allow for the establishment of normal correlations between goods prices which have been artificially raised by speculation on the stock exchange, and their real cost, and thus put them in their proper places. On the other hand, as participants of the market note, the crisis started with the banks and has led to the disappearance of the inter-bank crediting sector.
It is necessary to note that, although the price of wagons has fallen over the past few months, there is no activity among buyers because they do not have money and today’s annual credit rate is 30%, something manufacturers emphasise. As a result, buyers of machine-building products who were financed by small banks have appeared to be cut off from opportunities to obtain loans and the whole chain, from purchasing of necessary material assets for manufacturing to sales of finished goods, has been broken. It has led to the situation where the majority of companies have lost much of their resources because of the crisis and now they can neither receive credit nor find new capital.
“Toughening conditions and a sharp decrease in credit (this is how the government struggled with inflation and the crisis) have struck both buyers, to which credit became inaccessible (because the rates have increased), and sellers. Operators have lost the opportunity to get rolling stock and wagon-builders cannot find credit to finish orders. The problem is that the majority of companies do not have enough of their own resources and it is almost impossible to get a loan. The banks are now refusing credit to all participants in the market or demanding such a high premium for their loans that any advantage from project investment is reduced to a minimum,” says the Wagon-Building Company of Mordovia.
Ukraine Suffers More Than Others
An even more difficult situation has developed in the transport sector of Ukraine, where wagon-building factories suffer from delays of payments by Ukrzaliznytsya and Russian Railways for their products. Analysts have worked out that the stock exchange price for the whole Kryukov Wagon Building Plant in November was equal to the price of only 350 carriages. As a result, despite a typically sharp CIS country shortage of rolling stock, for the next year there is no prospect of an essential increase in purchases from Ukranian enterprises. Purchasing volumes in 2009 will depend on the need for cargo transportation, which is influenced by the dynamics of industrial production.
“Pre-conditions to the reduction in demand became literally visible in October, when a number of enterprises in the country, including metallurgical plants, declared a reduction in their production volumes. So far the economic symptoms are disturbing,” Sergey Lelekov, the Managing Partner of Brunswick Rail Leasing has explained.
Russian experts consider that the sharp reduction in prices for metallurgical production, which underlies wagon-building, has affected the Ukrainian industry first. The rate of price decreases for certain types of metals is reaching 50% and some enterprises in this industry are ready to switch off their machines. Besides, Ukrainian enterprises are focused on the Russian commodity market because rolling stock consumption for their own needs is extremely insignificant. Experts comment that the situation is not yet that critical among domestic wagon-building enterprises, which means that there is no overstocking or serious problem with selling home-produced engineering units.
...But Nevertheless a Successful Time?
Struggling with this developing situation, market participants – in particular operators – set out a plan of action to offer the Russian Ministry of Transport with the aim of protecting the wagon-building industry. In particular, Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya considers that effective state measures to support investment in rolling stock and to keep Russia’s wagon-building output can be achieved by subsidising part of the interest rate; mainly in cases where credit had been received for purchasing new Russian-produced railway cargo wagons and leasing contracts for similar purposes.
Companies believe that the crisis in transportation can appear to be an appropriate time to replace the worn-out RZD park and to activate the use of private rolling stock. “A gradual reduction of the existing RZD park, the majority of which has limited service life, continues this year. Serious competition to the operator companies has been introduced by the recently created First Cargo Company,” Sergey Makarov, the Deputy Chief of the “BaltTransService” Wagon Department is convinced. His opinion is that there is also a very large number of cargo wagons operating on the territories of the former USSR. He considers that, among measures to support the wagon industry there can probably be a restriction on rolling stock from other countries entering Russian territory.
By Maria Shevchenko
viewpoint
Valery Shpakov,
General Director of OAO Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya (Globaltrans Group):
– The cost of cargo wagons did not change from August to October 2008. But this was only due to the fact that wagon-building plants were carrying out their obligations to clients under contracts concluded between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. But falling costs for moulding wagons only began in October, and will lead to cost reductions for new cargo wagon produced in November and later.
Sergey Makarov,
Deputy Chief of Wagon Department, OOO BaltTransService:
– A certain shortage of rolling stock for the transportation of bulk-oil cargoes was still observed in August and even at the beginning of September. But it was in October, when transportation volumes fell, that the overabundance of wagons started to become so serious. Thus, the question of using rolling stock rationally and its maintenance has demanded important changes in the pricing policies of this manufacturing sector and in the sale of spare parts for cargo wagons, especially in large-scale railway moulding, which in July-August reached 30-35% of the total cost of a new wagon.
Igor Tyagunov,
Technical Director of OOO “Firm “Transgarant”:
– One cannot make a confident statement that a price reduction will lead to an increase in purchasing volumes of rolling stock by operators. The issue is that the demand for our services decreases as much as wagon prices. Now a surplus of rolling stock in the country is obvious. Simultaneously, in crisis conditions banks give out credits extremely reluctantly and demand too high a percentage in return. It is necessary to notice the difficult state of affairs in wagon manufacturing, which had been dictating conditions to all buyers, compelling them to pay unimaginable sums for rolling stock in the course of the previous two years. However, it is most likely that the Russian Government will support our machine engineers and, probably, will subsidise the purchasing of wagons in order to soften the blow of failing manufacturing in this sector of industry.
OUR REFERENCE
The total cargo wagon park in the CIS and Baltic countries this year is 1,393,960 units. Most of these are half-wagons with an average age exceeding 20 years – the specified service life limit is 22 years. Serious deterioration is obvious in other types of rolling stock too.
Thus, more than 300,000 wagons with an expired service life are now in use on the railroads of the CIS and Baltic States. In particular, the average age of the OAO RZD’s rolling stock exceeds 20 years, with deterioration reaching 75%. Some 80% of the wagons in the Ukrainian park are worn out. The reasons for such a situation is the production slump in wagon-building connected with the general economic crisis in Russia and the CIS in the 1990s, which led to a drastic reduction in rail transportation volumes. So in 1998, the production volume of cargo wagons was a sixth of 1990 levels, and at some wagon-building factories had fallen practically to zero. A crucial reduction in the park was the consequence. After that, for the same reason, financing of wagon-building development and modernisation was reduced. As a result of such depressing parameters, by 2015 more than 600,000 wagons will be taken off the inventory lists. And the necessary annual addition to the park should be at least 80,000 units.
[~DETAIL_TEXT] => The Crisis Has Corrected Plans
For the past two years, Russian transport has been suffering a very serious deficiency in new technical devices. “The situation that has developed in the cargo wagon-building market could be defined by the words ‘a seller’s market’. The main features of such a market are: a lack of production, reduced quality requirements, constantly growing prices, low competition levels shown by the narrow and technologically out-of-date range of products, absence of manufacturer guarantees and after-sales services,” states Felix Blinov, Director General of “РВМ” Investment Group. He says that, despite the annual 15-20% growth in domestic production and increasing cargo wagon import volumes – mainly from the Ukraine, the shortage of new types of cargo rolling stock was obvious.
The Sales & Marketing Assistant to the General Director of the Ural Wagon-Building Plant, Sergey Kolosok, notes that as a result, by the beginning of the crisis the situation in the cargo wagon-building market was that demand considerably exceeded supply in most cases. Moreover, in the opinion of industry experts, based on the real needs and existing wagon-building capacities, a high demand for cargo wagons had to continue for at least another three-five years, stabilising by 2010.
Instead, the growing financial crisis has started to affect all new aspects of national economic life. Buyers have practically deserted the wagon-building market. Valery Shpakov, the General Director of “Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya” (Globaltrans Group of Companies) observes: “At present, the supply from factories to provide customers with cargo rolling stock is more than the demand, which differs sharply from the situation at the beginning of 2008, when there was a considerable shortage of gondolas.”
“Prices for rolling stock and accessories are going down. Because the cost of building materials in the price of the wagon is not less than 84-86%, it is no wonder that the cost of ready-made rolling stock decreases. Thus, if in July-August 2008, the price for a gondola was 2.5 million roubles, now it has fallen to 2 million,” says “The Mordovia Wagon-Building Company”. Experts emphasise that this problem concerns both the primary and secondary segments of the wagon-building industry. “Prices are falling for all kinds of rolling stock – new and second-hand. The average cost fluctuation is about 15-20%, or $15,000 – $20,000 per wagon. As a result, if before the price of a new gondola was about $100,000, then today it has decreased to $80,000 per unit, and it has not yet reached its limit,” Igor Tyagunov, the Technical Director of the Company “Firm “Transgarant“ also adds.
Falling costs also affect specialised wagons. So wagon-builders forecast that the demand for cement-carriers in 2009 will fall more than halve in comparison with 2008, and that should affect the price. “The evidence for this tendency in the price reduction for new cargo wagons is the falling of prices for hopper mineral-carriers,” says Mr Shpakov.
“Today we are considering alternatives to sell more than 500 gondolas on our balance sheet, because it has become unprofitable to keep them. The reason is that their running lease rate decreased twice last month,” admits one Russian private operator.
Meanwhile both wagon-builders and operators state with regret that they do not see “the balance between the demand and the supply” on the market (in other words, there is no wish by private traders to increase their wagon stock). On the one hand falling prices, first of all for raw materials and then for the production of machine engineering, will allow for the establishment of normal correlations between goods prices which have been artificially raised by speculation on the stock exchange, and their real cost, and thus put them in their proper places. On the other hand, as participants of the market note, the crisis started with the banks and has led to the disappearance of the inter-bank crediting sector.
It is necessary to note that, although the price of wagons has fallen over the past few months, there is no activity among buyers because they do not have money and today’s annual credit rate is 30%, something manufacturers emphasise. As a result, buyers of machine-building products who were financed by small banks have appeared to be cut off from opportunities to obtain loans and the whole chain, from purchasing of necessary material assets for manufacturing to sales of finished goods, has been broken. It has led to the situation where the majority of companies have lost much of their resources because of the crisis and now they can neither receive credit nor find new capital.
“Toughening conditions and a sharp decrease in credit (this is how the government struggled with inflation and the crisis) have struck both buyers, to which credit became inaccessible (because the rates have increased), and sellers. Operators have lost the opportunity to get rolling stock and wagon-builders cannot find credit to finish orders. The problem is that the majority of companies do not have enough of their own resources and it is almost impossible to get a loan. The banks are now refusing credit to all participants in the market or demanding such a high premium for their loans that any advantage from project investment is reduced to a minimum,” says the Wagon-Building Company of Mordovia.
Ukraine Suffers More Than Others
An even more difficult situation has developed in the transport sector of Ukraine, where wagon-building factories suffer from delays of payments by Ukrzaliznytsya and Russian Railways for their products. Analysts have worked out that the stock exchange price for the whole Kryukov Wagon Building Plant in November was equal to the price of only 350 carriages. As a result, despite a typically sharp CIS country shortage of rolling stock, for the next year there is no prospect of an essential increase in purchases from Ukranian enterprises. Purchasing volumes in 2009 will depend on the need for cargo transportation, which is influenced by the dynamics of industrial production.
“Pre-conditions to the reduction in demand became literally visible in October, when a number of enterprises in the country, including metallurgical plants, declared a reduction in their production volumes. So far the economic symptoms are disturbing,” Sergey Lelekov, the Managing Partner of Brunswick Rail Leasing has explained.
Russian experts consider that the sharp reduction in prices for metallurgical production, which underlies wagon-building, has affected the Ukrainian industry first. The rate of price decreases for certain types of metals is reaching 50% and some enterprises in this industry are ready to switch off their machines. Besides, Ukrainian enterprises are focused on the Russian commodity market because rolling stock consumption for their own needs is extremely insignificant. Experts comment that the situation is not yet that critical among domestic wagon-building enterprises, which means that there is no overstocking or serious problem with selling home-produced engineering units.
...But Nevertheless a Successful Time?
Struggling with this developing situation, market participants – in particular operators – set out a plan of action to offer the Russian Ministry of Transport with the aim of protecting the wagon-building industry. In particular, Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya considers that effective state measures to support investment in rolling stock and to keep Russia’s wagon-building output can be achieved by subsidising part of the interest rate; mainly in cases where credit had been received for purchasing new Russian-produced railway cargo wagons and leasing contracts for similar purposes.
Companies believe that the crisis in transportation can appear to be an appropriate time to replace the worn-out RZD park and to activate the use of private rolling stock. “A gradual reduction of the existing RZD park, the majority of which has limited service life, continues this year. Serious competition to the operator companies has been introduced by the recently created First Cargo Company,” Sergey Makarov, the Deputy Chief of the “BaltTransService” Wagon Department is convinced. His opinion is that there is also a very large number of cargo wagons operating on the territories of the former USSR. He considers that, among measures to support the wagon industry there can probably be a restriction on rolling stock from other countries entering Russian territory.
By Maria Shevchenko
viewpoint
Valery Shpakov,
General Director of OAO Novaya Perevozochnaya Kompaniya (Globaltrans Group):
– The cost of cargo wagons did not change from August to October 2008. But this was only due to the fact that wagon-building plants were carrying out their obligations to clients under contracts concluded between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. But falling costs for moulding wagons only began in October, and will lead to cost reductions for new cargo wagon produced in November and later.
Sergey Makarov,
Deputy Chief of Wagon Department, OOO BaltTransService:
– A certain shortage of rolling stock for the transportation of bulk-oil cargoes was still observed in August and even at the beginning of September. But it was in October, when transportation volumes fell, that the overabundance of wagons started to become so serious. Thus, the question of using rolling stock rationally and its maintenance has demanded important changes in the pricing policies of this manufacturing sector and in the sale of spare parts for cargo wagons, especially in large-scale railway moulding, which in July-August reached 30-35% of the total cost of a new wagon.
Igor Tyagunov,
Technical Director of OOO “Firm “Transgarant”:
– One cannot make a confident statement that a price reduction will lead to an increase in purchasing volumes of rolling stock by operators. The issue is that the demand for our services decreases as much as wagon prices. Now a surplus of rolling stock in the country is obvious. Simultaneously, in crisis conditions banks give out credits extremely reluctantly and demand too high a percentage in return. It is necessary to notice the difficult state of affairs in wagon manufacturing, which had been dictating conditions to all buyers, compelling them to pay unimaginable sums for rolling stock in the course of the previous two years. However, it is most likely that the Russian Government will support our machine engineers and, probably, will subsidise the purchasing of wagons in order to soften the blow of failing manufacturing in this sector of industry.
OUR REFERENCE
The total cargo wagon park in the CIS and Baltic countries this year is 1,393,960 units. Most of these are half-wagons with an average age exceeding 20 years – the specified service life limit is 22 years. Serious deterioration is obvious in other types of rolling stock too.
Thus, more than 300,000 wagons with an expired service life are now in use on the railroads of the CIS and Baltic States. In particular, the average age of the OAO RZD’s rolling stock exceeds 20 years, with deterioration reaching 75%. Some 80% of the wagons in the Ukrainian park are worn out. The reasons for such a situation is the production slump in wagon-building connected with the general economic crisis in Russia and the CIS in the 1990s, which led to a drastic reduction in rail transportation volumes. So in 1998, the production volume of cargo wagons was a sixth of 1990 levels, and at some wagon-building factories had fallen practically to zero. A crucial reduction in the park was the consequence. After that, for the same reason, financing of wagon-building development and modernisation was reduced. As a result of such depressing parameters, by 2015 more than 600,000 wagons will be taken off the inventory lists. And the necessary annual addition to the park should be at least 80,000 units.
[DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_TEXT] => The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[~PREVIEW_TEXT] => The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[~PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[LANG_DIR] => /
[~LANG_DIR] => /
[CODE] => 5060
[~CODE] => 5060
[EXTERNAL_ID] => 5060
[~EXTERNAL_ID] => 5060
[IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[~IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[LID] => s1
[~LID] => s1
[EDIT_LINK] =>
[DELETE_LINK] =>
[DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[FIELDS] => Array
(
)
[PROPERTIES] => Array
(
[AUTHOR] => Array
(
[ID] => 97
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 400
[CODE] => AUTHOR
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => Y
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:97
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[AUTHOR_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 108
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор фото
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 410
[CODE] => AUTHOR_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор фото
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:108
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[ISSUE] => Array
(
[ID] => 93
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Выпуск
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ISSUE
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => E
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => Y
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Выпуск
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] => 105268
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:93
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] => 105268
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
)
[BLOG_POST_ID] => Array
(
[ID] => 94
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_POST_ID
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:94
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT] => Array
(
[ID] => 95
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Количество комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Количество комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:95
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[MORE_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 98
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => MORE_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => Y
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => jpg, gif, bmp, png, jpeg
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] =>
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[PUBLIC_ACCESS] => Array
(
[ID] => 110
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Открытый доступ
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => PUBLIC_ACCESS
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => L
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => C
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Открытый доступ
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:110
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM_ID] =>
)
[ATTACHED_PDF] => Array
(
[ID] => 324
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ATTACHED_PDF
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => pdf
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109870:324
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
)
[DISPLAY_PROPERTIES] => Array
(
)
[IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array
(
[SECTION_META_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_META_KEYWORDS] => wagon building: a slight correction, stagnation or recession?
[SECTION_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/3.jpg" border="1" alt=" " hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[ELEMENT_META_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_META_KEYWORDS] => wagon building: a slight correction, stagnation or recession?
[ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/3.jpg" border="1" alt=" " hspace="5" width="150" height="120" align="left" />The economic crisis has also hit the transport engineering sector - in particular the Russian wagon-building industry. By the end of 2008, the production price had fallen by 15-20% in both primary and secondary markets. Operators no longer aspire to increase rolling stock purchase volumes, blaming a lack of available assets.
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => Wagon Building: A Slight Correction, Stagnation or Recession?
)
)
In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.Array
(
[ID] => 109869
[~ID] => 109869
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[~IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[NAME] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[~NAME] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[~TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5059/
[~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5059/
[LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[DETAIL_TEXT] => Investors’ Confidence Is The Main Result
– Mr Yakunin, could you please comment on the company’s results in 2008?
– In spite of the transportation volume decline in the fourth quarter, caused by the world crisis, the company’s throughput and passenger turnover were a record (2.4 trillion tonne-kilometres and more than 175 billion passenger-kilometres respectively), dozens of new routes for passenger and cargo trains were opened and the company entered new foreign markets.
The crisis prevented us from reaching the results we had been aiming for. Nevertheless, we succeeded in improving the most important qualitative figures of rolling stock usage – the speed of cargo railcar turnover was improved by one hour, average train weight grew by 29 tons and locomotive output increased.
– And what is the company’s financial condition?
– Economic crises are a cyclic phenomenon, although the current situation has made life throughout the world more complicated. Earlier, OAO RZD as well as many other companies had the chance to advantageously attract investments in the foreign markets due to the large amount of “cheap” money available. As you know, a lot of companies used this opportunity. But we didn’t, and now it is clear that our decision was correct. Today, the company’s ratio debt/EBITDA is 1.45, which is below danger levels. OAO RZD’s public loans are hedged and the rate for them is fixed.
The credit rating of Russian Railways given by all the three agencies is similar to that of the Russian Federation. The structure of the company’s loan portfolio is well balanced. Mainly, there is long-range funding. At the height of the crisis, we paid back a USD 360 million syndicated loan. The coupon profit for bonds was also paid on time. So our creditors should not worry. In 2009, we must pay off the interest rate for rouble bonds for the sum of RUR 14 billion. I am sure there will be no problems with it.
In November, OAO RZD placed two bond loans. And I can’t say there was a lack of investors. This year we are going to issue infrastructure bonds for the sum of RUR 100 billion. If there is an opportunity, we’ll try to carry out the programme of European bonds.
Moreover, the state understands it must actively take part in the process, especially in terms of infrastructure development. And it helps us actively. Some of our projects will be carried out using the means from the RF Investment Fund.
– Is OAO RZD going to reduce its expenditure? How will it achieve this?
– We have cut by 30% expenditure on material resource purchases; we are negotiating with rolling stock producers and metallurgists to reduce the prices for their production in accordance with the reality of the modern market. We are also discussing reduction of expenses on personnel, because natural wastage allows us to cut staff numbers by 3%. The other changes will be based on real macroeconomic figures.
All in all, we are going to cut expenditure by RUR 173 billion.
The major task set by the Government was to keep the investment programme. The company is at an active stage of the reform and a reduction of investment in infrastructure may have a negative influence on the country’s economy. That is why we are trying to reduce internal expenditures. These are management expenses, fuel and capital repair volumes. All in all, we told the Government that the company’s expenditures would amount to RUR 80 billion in 2009 and this met with their approval.
– What investment projects will be a priority for OAO RZD in 2009?
– The key ones. First of all, I mean getting the railways ready for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. It includes the construction of a line bypassing Ukraine and Rostov-on-Don, modernisation of the Tuapse-Adler line and, in particular, preparation of the railway stations for use by disabled people and creation of double-track inserts. Also investments will be made into reconstruction of the Moscow transport junction. There is a new project – construction of the Tobolsk-Surgut section.
The Reform Is Considered A Success
– The railway transport reform has been carried out for 10 years already, so we must mention this theme. What is the total result of the reforms so far in your opinion?
– In Russia railways have always been, and will always be, a matter of state importance. The target of the reform is to strengthen the sector and make it more effective. The programme of the sector reform was developed considering Russian experience as well as the experience of the world’s largest railway systems’.
Nowadays, due to railway transport reform, cargo railcars are classified as follows: 48% is owned by OAO RZD – in its so-called inventory (public) park, and 52% belongs to private operators and the First Cargo Company (100%-owned daughter company of OAO RZD). As for gondola cars, the situation is different: we have 58% and the share of other operators is 42%. It means that a rolling stock market has appeared, which created real competition in the transportation sector.
Another important fact is that, since 1990, the increase in tariffs on cargo transportation was three or even five times smaller than that of goods and services in the industry and power sectors. It proves that railway tariffs cannot be considered an element that restrains economic growth. In my opinion, it is the results of the realisation of the reform plans, carried out by the Board of Directors and the Government.
The transport constituent in the prices for goods has reduced. It proves that the reform is being carried out correctly.
In fact, the scale of Russian railway reform is unique. The reform gave an impulse to the renaissance of the Russian transport machine-building sector. The launch of private operators attracted RUR 200 billion of investment into rolling stock purchase.
As a result of the reform, there arose new types of transportation in the passenger transportation sector – inter-modal and inter-regional, which became profitable.
In Future The Targets Are Also Scaled
– What are the next targets of the reform?
– In terms of the development of our company, the results of the first and the second stages of the reform prove that its basic direction is correct. The experts at the Economic Cooperation and Development Organisation and the European Conference of Transport Ministers have a high regard for what has been done. In their opinion, Russian experience is an example of successful railway transport reform.
The major target of the third stage is creation of competition in the railway transportation market. To keep our position, we should improve the competitiveness and the capitalisation of the holding company. In 2007, the Board of Directors decided to launch another 17 daughter companies and subsidiaries. Among them is The First Cargo Company – a rolling stock operator – which strengthens Russian Railways’ position in the transportation market.
Railway Stations Directorate, Central Directorate for Cargo Railcar Repair, and Central Directorate for Track Repair are beginning to work. The separation of independent subsidiaries specialising in specific segments makes their activities more transparent, stimulates them to work more effectively and allows them to attract huge private investment by selling daughter companies’ shares and property they do not use.
A new model for the market must appear. We are developing it in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and other state bodies. The tariffs for public and private rolling stock parks should be similar – it may be done through the launch of a second cargo company. The current situation should not continue. All wagons should be operated in equal market conditions. Only then will there be real competition. In addition, there should be transportation and infrastructure components included in the tariff.
OAO RZD must turn into a real business structure that works according to market forces. Naturally, changes on such a scale prove a very complicated process for a company that employs 1.2 million people.
For me, the future of OAO RZD is as a prospective holding company with an optimised corporate management system, all the components of which operate to reach one and the same target – to provide high-quality services to passengers and cargo owners.
International Cooperation: Mutually Beneficial Partnership
– How were your relations with foreign colleagues in 2008?
– Cooperation with German railways is actively developing. Working groups of specialists from Russia, China and Germany are developing their suggestions for the launch of a Eurasian freight line between China and Europe. To better exploit the potential of the Transsib, it is very important to develop partnerships with the largest Japanese industrial and forwarding companies. The railways of Russia, Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine came to an agreement to start project research to expand the broad gauge (1,520 mm) to Central Europe. The target is to attract additional cargo to Eurasian routes. The reconstruction of the Hasan-Rasŏn (Rajin) railway line via South Korea’s territory will also help that. A joint Russian-Korean enterprise has been already launched to carry out the project.
In 2007 and 2008, we concluded several large international contracts to construct and modernise railways abroad – with Iran, Libya, Algeria and Mongolia. We are striving to realise Russia’s transit potential, using the opportunities presented by international West – East and North – South transport corridors.
It allows the company to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships with other countries, realising the technical and scientific potential of OAO RZD as a transporter as well as a constructor, managing railway infrastructure effectively.
A 50% shareholding of joint-stock company Ulan-Batorskaya Railway is being given to OAO RZD. It will speed up the modernisation of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway infrastructure and construction of new tracks to service transit flows from Central and Eastern Asia to Europe. These programmes are being developed by OAO RZD in cooperation with Mongolian partners.
The most important thing is to find a proper instrument to attract investment into development of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway and build new lines in Mongolia.
by Ivan Stupachenko
[~DETAIL_TEXT] => Investors’ Confidence Is The Main Result
– Mr Yakunin, could you please comment on the company’s results in 2008?
– In spite of the transportation volume decline in the fourth quarter, caused by the world crisis, the company’s throughput and passenger turnover were a record (2.4 trillion tonne-kilometres and more than 175 billion passenger-kilometres respectively), dozens of new routes for passenger and cargo trains were opened and the company entered new foreign markets.
The crisis prevented us from reaching the results we had been aiming for. Nevertheless, we succeeded in improving the most important qualitative figures of rolling stock usage – the speed of cargo railcar turnover was improved by one hour, average train weight grew by 29 tons and locomotive output increased.
– And what is the company’s financial condition?
– Economic crises are a cyclic phenomenon, although the current situation has made life throughout the world more complicated. Earlier, OAO RZD as well as many other companies had the chance to advantageously attract investments in the foreign markets due to the large amount of “cheap” money available. As you know, a lot of companies used this opportunity. But we didn’t, and now it is clear that our decision was correct. Today, the company’s ratio debt/EBITDA is 1.45, which is below danger levels. OAO RZD’s public loans are hedged and the rate for them is fixed.
The credit rating of Russian Railways given by all the three agencies is similar to that of the Russian Federation. The structure of the company’s loan portfolio is well balanced. Mainly, there is long-range funding. At the height of the crisis, we paid back a USD 360 million syndicated loan. The coupon profit for bonds was also paid on time. So our creditors should not worry. In 2009, we must pay off the interest rate for rouble bonds for the sum of RUR 14 billion. I am sure there will be no problems with it.
In November, OAO RZD placed two bond loans. And I can’t say there was a lack of investors. This year we are going to issue infrastructure bonds for the sum of RUR 100 billion. If there is an opportunity, we’ll try to carry out the programme of European bonds.
Moreover, the state understands it must actively take part in the process, especially in terms of infrastructure development. And it helps us actively. Some of our projects will be carried out using the means from the RF Investment Fund.
– Is OAO RZD going to reduce its expenditure? How will it achieve this?
– We have cut by 30% expenditure on material resource purchases; we are negotiating with rolling stock producers and metallurgists to reduce the prices for their production in accordance with the reality of the modern market. We are also discussing reduction of expenses on personnel, because natural wastage allows us to cut staff numbers by 3%. The other changes will be based on real macroeconomic figures.
All in all, we are going to cut expenditure by RUR 173 billion.
The major task set by the Government was to keep the investment programme. The company is at an active stage of the reform and a reduction of investment in infrastructure may have a negative influence on the country’s economy. That is why we are trying to reduce internal expenditures. These are management expenses, fuel and capital repair volumes. All in all, we told the Government that the company’s expenditures would amount to RUR 80 billion in 2009 and this met with their approval.
– What investment projects will be a priority for OAO RZD in 2009?
– The key ones. First of all, I mean getting the railways ready for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. It includes the construction of a line bypassing Ukraine and Rostov-on-Don, modernisation of the Tuapse-Adler line and, in particular, preparation of the railway stations for use by disabled people and creation of double-track inserts. Also investments will be made into reconstruction of the Moscow transport junction. There is a new project – construction of the Tobolsk-Surgut section.
The Reform Is Considered A Success
– The railway transport reform has been carried out for 10 years already, so we must mention this theme. What is the total result of the reforms so far in your opinion?
– In Russia railways have always been, and will always be, a matter of state importance. The target of the reform is to strengthen the sector and make it more effective. The programme of the sector reform was developed considering Russian experience as well as the experience of the world’s largest railway systems’.
Nowadays, due to railway transport reform, cargo railcars are classified as follows: 48% is owned by OAO RZD – in its so-called inventory (public) park, and 52% belongs to private operators and the First Cargo Company (100%-owned daughter company of OAO RZD). As for gondola cars, the situation is different: we have 58% and the share of other operators is 42%. It means that a rolling stock market has appeared, which created real competition in the transportation sector.
Another important fact is that, since 1990, the increase in tariffs on cargo transportation was three or even five times smaller than that of goods and services in the industry and power sectors. It proves that railway tariffs cannot be considered an element that restrains economic growth. In my opinion, it is the results of the realisation of the reform plans, carried out by the Board of Directors and the Government.
The transport constituent in the prices for goods has reduced. It proves that the reform is being carried out correctly.
In fact, the scale of Russian railway reform is unique. The reform gave an impulse to the renaissance of the Russian transport machine-building sector. The launch of private operators attracted RUR 200 billion of investment into rolling stock purchase.
As a result of the reform, there arose new types of transportation in the passenger transportation sector – inter-modal and inter-regional, which became profitable.
In Future The Targets Are Also Scaled
– What are the next targets of the reform?
– In terms of the development of our company, the results of the first and the second stages of the reform prove that its basic direction is correct. The experts at the Economic Cooperation and Development Organisation and the European Conference of Transport Ministers have a high regard for what has been done. In their opinion, Russian experience is an example of successful railway transport reform.
The major target of the third stage is creation of competition in the railway transportation market. To keep our position, we should improve the competitiveness and the capitalisation of the holding company. In 2007, the Board of Directors decided to launch another 17 daughter companies and subsidiaries. Among them is The First Cargo Company – a rolling stock operator – which strengthens Russian Railways’ position in the transportation market.
Railway Stations Directorate, Central Directorate for Cargo Railcar Repair, and Central Directorate for Track Repair are beginning to work. The separation of independent subsidiaries specialising in specific segments makes their activities more transparent, stimulates them to work more effectively and allows them to attract huge private investment by selling daughter companies’ shares and property they do not use.
A new model for the market must appear. We are developing it in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and other state bodies. The tariffs for public and private rolling stock parks should be similar – it may be done through the launch of a second cargo company. The current situation should not continue. All wagons should be operated in equal market conditions. Only then will there be real competition. In addition, there should be transportation and infrastructure components included in the tariff.
OAO RZD must turn into a real business structure that works according to market forces. Naturally, changes on such a scale prove a very complicated process for a company that employs 1.2 million people.
For me, the future of OAO RZD is as a prospective holding company with an optimised corporate management system, all the components of which operate to reach one and the same target – to provide high-quality services to passengers and cargo owners.
International Cooperation: Mutually Beneficial Partnership
– How were your relations with foreign colleagues in 2008?
– Cooperation with German railways is actively developing. Working groups of specialists from Russia, China and Germany are developing their suggestions for the launch of a Eurasian freight line between China and Europe. To better exploit the potential of the Transsib, it is very important to develop partnerships with the largest Japanese industrial and forwarding companies. The railways of Russia, Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine came to an agreement to start project research to expand the broad gauge (1,520 mm) to Central Europe. The target is to attract additional cargo to Eurasian routes. The reconstruction of the Hasan-Rasŏn (Rajin) railway line via South Korea’s territory will also help that. A joint Russian-Korean enterprise has been already launched to carry out the project.
In 2007 and 2008, we concluded several large international contracts to construct and modernise railways abroad – with Iran, Libya, Algeria and Mongolia. We are striving to realise Russia’s transit potential, using the opportunities presented by international West – East and North – South transport corridors.
It allows the company to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships with other countries, realising the technical and scientific potential of OAO RZD as a transporter as well as a constructor, managing railway infrastructure effectively.
A 50% shareholding of joint-stock company Ulan-Batorskaya Railway is being given to OAO RZD. It will speed up the modernisation of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway infrastructure and construction of new tracks to service transit flows from Central and Eastern Asia to Europe. These programmes are being developed by OAO RZD in cooperation with Mongolian partners.
The most important thing is to find a proper instrument to attract investment into development of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway and build new lines in Mongolia.
by Ivan Stupachenko
[DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_TEXT] => In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[~PREVIEW_TEXT] => In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[~PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[LANG_DIR] => /
[~LANG_DIR] => /
[CODE] => 5059
[~CODE] => 5059
[EXTERNAL_ID] => 5059
[~EXTERNAL_ID] => 5059
[IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[~IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[LID] => s1
[~LID] => s1
[EDIT_LINK] =>
[DELETE_LINK] =>
[DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[FIELDS] => Array
(
)
[PROPERTIES] => Array
(
[AUTHOR] => Array
(
[ID] => 97
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 400
[CODE] => AUTHOR
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => Y
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:97
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[AUTHOR_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 108
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор фото
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 410
[CODE] => AUTHOR_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор фото
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:108
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[ISSUE] => Array
(
[ID] => 93
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Выпуск
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ISSUE
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => E
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => Y
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Выпуск
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] => 105268
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:93
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] => 105268
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
)
[BLOG_POST_ID] => Array
(
[ID] => 94
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_POST_ID
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:94
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT] => Array
(
[ID] => 95
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Количество комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Количество комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:95
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[MORE_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 98
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => MORE_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => Y
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => jpg, gif, bmp, png, jpeg
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] =>
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[PUBLIC_ACCESS] => Array
(
[ID] => 110
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Открытый доступ
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => PUBLIC_ACCESS
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => L
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => C
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Открытый доступ
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:110
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM_ID] =>
)
[ATTACHED_PDF] => Array
(
[ID] => 324
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ATTACHED_PDF
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => pdf
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:324
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
)
[DISPLAY_PROPERTIES] => Array
(
)
[IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array
(
[SECTION_META_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_META_KEYWORDS] => “our business is stable”
[SECTION_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/2.jpg" border="1" alt="Vladimir Yakunin" title="Vladimir Yakunin" hspace="5" width="120" height="150" align="left" />In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[ELEMENT_META_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_META_KEYWORDS] => “our business is stable”
[ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/2.jpg" border="1" alt="Vladimir Yakunin" title="Vladimir Yakunin" hspace="5" width="120" height="150" align="left" />In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
)
)
Array
(
[ID] => 109869
[~ID] => 109869
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[~IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[~IBLOCK_SECTION_ID] => 1503
[NAME] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[~NAME] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM_X] =>
[ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[~ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[~TIMESTAMP_X] => 24.10.2016 17:14:14
[DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5059/
[~DETAIL_PAGE_URL] => /publications/rzd-partner-int/17/5059/
[LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[~LIST_PAGE_URL] => /info/index.php?ID=25
[DETAIL_TEXT] => Investors’ Confidence Is The Main Result
– Mr Yakunin, could you please comment on the company’s results in 2008?
– In spite of the transportation volume decline in the fourth quarter, caused by the world crisis, the company’s throughput and passenger turnover were a record (2.4 trillion tonne-kilometres and more than 175 billion passenger-kilometres respectively), dozens of new routes for passenger and cargo trains were opened and the company entered new foreign markets.
The crisis prevented us from reaching the results we had been aiming for. Nevertheless, we succeeded in improving the most important qualitative figures of rolling stock usage – the speed of cargo railcar turnover was improved by one hour, average train weight grew by 29 tons and locomotive output increased.
– And what is the company’s financial condition?
– Economic crises are a cyclic phenomenon, although the current situation has made life throughout the world more complicated. Earlier, OAO RZD as well as many other companies had the chance to advantageously attract investments in the foreign markets due to the large amount of “cheap” money available. As you know, a lot of companies used this opportunity. But we didn’t, and now it is clear that our decision was correct. Today, the company’s ratio debt/EBITDA is 1.45, which is below danger levels. OAO RZD’s public loans are hedged and the rate for them is fixed.
The credit rating of Russian Railways given by all the three agencies is similar to that of the Russian Federation. The structure of the company’s loan portfolio is well balanced. Mainly, there is long-range funding. At the height of the crisis, we paid back a USD 360 million syndicated loan. The coupon profit for bonds was also paid on time. So our creditors should not worry. In 2009, we must pay off the interest rate for rouble bonds for the sum of RUR 14 billion. I am sure there will be no problems with it.
In November, OAO RZD placed two bond loans. And I can’t say there was a lack of investors. This year we are going to issue infrastructure bonds for the sum of RUR 100 billion. If there is an opportunity, we’ll try to carry out the programme of European bonds.
Moreover, the state understands it must actively take part in the process, especially in terms of infrastructure development. And it helps us actively. Some of our projects will be carried out using the means from the RF Investment Fund.
– Is OAO RZD going to reduce its expenditure? How will it achieve this?
– We have cut by 30% expenditure on material resource purchases; we are negotiating with rolling stock producers and metallurgists to reduce the prices for their production in accordance with the reality of the modern market. We are also discussing reduction of expenses on personnel, because natural wastage allows us to cut staff numbers by 3%. The other changes will be based on real macroeconomic figures.
All in all, we are going to cut expenditure by RUR 173 billion.
The major task set by the Government was to keep the investment programme. The company is at an active stage of the reform and a reduction of investment in infrastructure may have a negative influence on the country’s economy. That is why we are trying to reduce internal expenditures. These are management expenses, fuel and capital repair volumes. All in all, we told the Government that the company’s expenditures would amount to RUR 80 billion in 2009 and this met with their approval.
– What investment projects will be a priority for OAO RZD in 2009?
– The key ones. First of all, I mean getting the railways ready for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. It includes the construction of a line bypassing Ukraine and Rostov-on-Don, modernisation of the Tuapse-Adler line and, in particular, preparation of the railway stations for use by disabled people and creation of double-track inserts. Also investments will be made into reconstruction of the Moscow transport junction. There is a new project – construction of the Tobolsk-Surgut section.
The Reform Is Considered A Success
– The railway transport reform has been carried out for 10 years already, so we must mention this theme. What is the total result of the reforms so far in your opinion?
– In Russia railways have always been, and will always be, a matter of state importance. The target of the reform is to strengthen the sector and make it more effective. The programme of the sector reform was developed considering Russian experience as well as the experience of the world’s largest railway systems’.
Nowadays, due to railway transport reform, cargo railcars are classified as follows: 48% is owned by OAO RZD – in its so-called inventory (public) park, and 52% belongs to private operators and the First Cargo Company (100%-owned daughter company of OAO RZD). As for gondola cars, the situation is different: we have 58% and the share of other operators is 42%. It means that a rolling stock market has appeared, which created real competition in the transportation sector.
Another important fact is that, since 1990, the increase in tariffs on cargo transportation was three or even five times smaller than that of goods and services in the industry and power sectors. It proves that railway tariffs cannot be considered an element that restrains economic growth. In my opinion, it is the results of the realisation of the reform plans, carried out by the Board of Directors and the Government.
The transport constituent in the prices for goods has reduced. It proves that the reform is being carried out correctly.
In fact, the scale of Russian railway reform is unique. The reform gave an impulse to the renaissance of the Russian transport machine-building sector. The launch of private operators attracted RUR 200 billion of investment into rolling stock purchase.
As a result of the reform, there arose new types of transportation in the passenger transportation sector – inter-modal and inter-regional, which became profitable.
In Future The Targets Are Also Scaled
– What are the next targets of the reform?
– In terms of the development of our company, the results of the first and the second stages of the reform prove that its basic direction is correct. The experts at the Economic Cooperation and Development Organisation and the European Conference of Transport Ministers have a high regard for what has been done. In their opinion, Russian experience is an example of successful railway transport reform.
The major target of the third stage is creation of competition in the railway transportation market. To keep our position, we should improve the competitiveness and the capitalisation of the holding company. In 2007, the Board of Directors decided to launch another 17 daughter companies and subsidiaries. Among them is The First Cargo Company – a rolling stock operator – which strengthens Russian Railways’ position in the transportation market.
Railway Stations Directorate, Central Directorate for Cargo Railcar Repair, and Central Directorate for Track Repair are beginning to work. The separation of independent subsidiaries specialising in specific segments makes their activities more transparent, stimulates them to work more effectively and allows them to attract huge private investment by selling daughter companies’ shares and property they do not use.
A new model for the market must appear. We are developing it in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and other state bodies. The tariffs for public and private rolling stock parks should be similar – it may be done through the launch of a second cargo company. The current situation should not continue. All wagons should be operated in equal market conditions. Only then will there be real competition. In addition, there should be transportation and infrastructure components included in the tariff.
OAO RZD must turn into a real business structure that works according to market forces. Naturally, changes on such a scale prove a very complicated process for a company that employs 1.2 million people.
For me, the future of OAO RZD is as a prospective holding company with an optimised corporate management system, all the components of which operate to reach one and the same target – to provide high-quality services to passengers and cargo owners.
International Cooperation: Mutually Beneficial Partnership
– How were your relations with foreign colleagues in 2008?
– Cooperation with German railways is actively developing. Working groups of specialists from Russia, China and Germany are developing their suggestions for the launch of a Eurasian freight line between China and Europe. To better exploit the potential of the Transsib, it is very important to develop partnerships with the largest Japanese industrial and forwarding companies. The railways of Russia, Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine came to an agreement to start project research to expand the broad gauge (1,520 mm) to Central Europe. The target is to attract additional cargo to Eurasian routes. The reconstruction of the Hasan-Rasŏn (Rajin) railway line via South Korea’s territory will also help that. A joint Russian-Korean enterprise has been already launched to carry out the project.
In 2007 and 2008, we concluded several large international contracts to construct and modernise railways abroad – with Iran, Libya, Algeria and Mongolia. We are striving to realise Russia’s transit potential, using the opportunities presented by international West – East and North – South transport corridors.
It allows the company to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships with other countries, realising the technical and scientific potential of OAO RZD as a transporter as well as a constructor, managing railway infrastructure effectively.
A 50% shareholding of joint-stock company Ulan-Batorskaya Railway is being given to OAO RZD. It will speed up the modernisation of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway infrastructure and construction of new tracks to service transit flows from Central and Eastern Asia to Europe. These programmes are being developed by OAO RZD in cooperation with Mongolian partners.
The most important thing is to find a proper instrument to attract investment into development of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway and build new lines in Mongolia.
by Ivan Stupachenko
[~DETAIL_TEXT] => Investors’ Confidence Is The Main Result
– Mr Yakunin, could you please comment on the company’s results in 2008?
– In spite of the transportation volume decline in the fourth quarter, caused by the world crisis, the company’s throughput and passenger turnover were a record (2.4 trillion tonne-kilometres and more than 175 billion passenger-kilometres respectively), dozens of new routes for passenger and cargo trains were opened and the company entered new foreign markets.
The crisis prevented us from reaching the results we had been aiming for. Nevertheless, we succeeded in improving the most important qualitative figures of rolling stock usage – the speed of cargo railcar turnover was improved by one hour, average train weight grew by 29 tons and locomotive output increased.
– And what is the company’s financial condition?
– Economic crises are a cyclic phenomenon, although the current situation has made life throughout the world more complicated. Earlier, OAO RZD as well as many other companies had the chance to advantageously attract investments in the foreign markets due to the large amount of “cheap” money available. As you know, a lot of companies used this opportunity. But we didn’t, and now it is clear that our decision was correct. Today, the company’s ratio debt/EBITDA is 1.45, which is below danger levels. OAO RZD’s public loans are hedged and the rate for them is fixed.
The credit rating of Russian Railways given by all the three agencies is similar to that of the Russian Federation. The structure of the company’s loan portfolio is well balanced. Mainly, there is long-range funding. At the height of the crisis, we paid back a USD 360 million syndicated loan. The coupon profit for bonds was also paid on time. So our creditors should not worry. In 2009, we must pay off the interest rate for rouble bonds for the sum of RUR 14 billion. I am sure there will be no problems with it.
In November, OAO RZD placed two bond loans. And I can’t say there was a lack of investors. This year we are going to issue infrastructure bonds for the sum of RUR 100 billion. If there is an opportunity, we’ll try to carry out the programme of European bonds.
Moreover, the state understands it must actively take part in the process, especially in terms of infrastructure development. And it helps us actively. Some of our projects will be carried out using the means from the RF Investment Fund.
– Is OAO RZD going to reduce its expenditure? How will it achieve this?
– We have cut by 30% expenditure on material resource purchases; we are negotiating with rolling stock producers and metallurgists to reduce the prices for their production in accordance with the reality of the modern market. We are also discussing reduction of expenses on personnel, because natural wastage allows us to cut staff numbers by 3%. The other changes will be based on real macroeconomic figures.
All in all, we are going to cut expenditure by RUR 173 billion.
The major task set by the Government was to keep the investment programme. The company is at an active stage of the reform and a reduction of investment in infrastructure may have a negative influence on the country’s economy. That is why we are trying to reduce internal expenditures. These are management expenses, fuel and capital repair volumes. All in all, we told the Government that the company’s expenditures would amount to RUR 80 billion in 2009 and this met with their approval.
– What investment projects will be a priority for OAO RZD in 2009?
– The key ones. First of all, I mean getting the railways ready for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. It includes the construction of a line bypassing Ukraine and Rostov-on-Don, modernisation of the Tuapse-Adler line and, in particular, preparation of the railway stations for use by disabled people and creation of double-track inserts. Also investments will be made into reconstruction of the Moscow transport junction. There is a new project – construction of the Tobolsk-Surgut section.
The Reform Is Considered A Success
– The railway transport reform has been carried out for 10 years already, so we must mention this theme. What is the total result of the reforms so far in your opinion?
– In Russia railways have always been, and will always be, a matter of state importance. The target of the reform is to strengthen the sector and make it more effective. The programme of the sector reform was developed considering Russian experience as well as the experience of the world’s largest railway systems’.
Nowadays, due to railway transport reform, cargo railcars are classified as follows: 48% is owned by OAO RZD – in its so-called inventory (public) park, and 52% belongs to private operators and the First Cargo Company (100%-owned daughter company of OAO RZD). As for gondola cars, the situation is different: we have 58% and the share of other operators is 42%. It means that a rolling stock market has appeared, which created real competition in the transportation sector.
Another important fact is that, since 1990, the increase in tariffs on cargo transportation was three or even five times smaller than that of goods and services in the industry and power sectors. It proves that railway tariffs cannot be considered an element that restrains economic growth. In my opinion, it is the results of the realisation of the reform plans, carried out by the Board of Directors and the Government.
The transport constituent in the prices for goods has reduced. It proves that the reform is being carried out correctly.
In fact, the scale of Russian railway reform is unique. The reform gave an impulse to the renaissance of the Russian transport machine-building sector. The launch of private operators attracted RUR 200 billion of investment into rolling stock purchase.
As a result of the reform, there arose new types of transportation in the passenger transportation sector – inter-modal and inter-regional, which became profitable.
In Future The Targets Are Also Scaled
– What are the next targets of the reform?
– In terms of the development of our company, the results of the first and the second stages of the reform prove that its basic direction is correct. The experts at the Economic Cooperation and Development Organisation and the European Conference of Transport Ministers have a high regard for what has been done. In their opinion, Russian experience is an example of successful railway transport reform.
The major target of the third stage is creation of competition in the railway transportation market. To keep our position, we should improve the competitiveness and the capitalisation of the holding company. In 2007, the Board of Directors decided to launch another 17 daughter companies and subsidiaries. Among them is The First Cargo Company – a rolling stock operator – which strengthens Russian Railways’ position in the transportation market.
Railway Stations Directorate, Central Directorate for Cargo Railcar Repair, and Central Directorate for Track Repair are beginning to work. The separation of independent subsidiaries specialising in specific segments makes their activities more transparent, stimulates them to work more effectively and allows them to attract huge private investment by selling daughter companies’ shares and property they do not use.
A new model for the market must appear. We are developing it in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and other state bodies. The tariffs for public and private rolling stock parks should be similar – it may be done through the launch of a second cargo company. The current situation should not continue. All wagons should be operated in equal market conditions. Only then will there be real competition. In addition, there should be transportation and infrastructure components included in the tariff.
OAO RZD must turn into a real business structure that works according to market forces. Naturally, changes on such a scale prove a very complicated process for a company that employs 1.2 million people.
For me, the future of OAO RZD is as a prospective holding company with an optimised corporate management system, all the components of which operate to reach one and the same target – to provide high-quality services to passengers and cargo owners.
International Cooperation: Mutually Beneficial Partnership
– How were your relations with foreign colleagues in 2008?
– Cooperation with German railways is actively developing. Working groups of specialists from Russia, China and Germany are developing their suggestions for the launch of a Eurasian freight line between China and Europe. To better exploit the potential of the Transsib, it is very important to develop partnerships with the largest Japanese industrial and forwarding companies. The railways of Russia, Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine came to an agreement to start project research to expand the broad gauge (1,520 mm) to Central Europe. The target is to attract additional cargo to Eurasian routes. The reconstruction of the Hasan-Rasŏn (Rajin) railway line via South Korea’s territory will also help that. A joint Russian-Korean enterprise has been already launched to carry out the project.
In 2007 and 2008, we concluded several large international contracts to construct and modernise railways abroad – with Iran, Libya, Algeria and Mongolia. We are striving to realise Russia’s transit potential, using the opportunities presented by international West – East and North – South transport corridors.
It allows the company to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships with other countries, realising the technical and scientific potential of OAO RZD as a transporter as well as a constructor, managing railway infrastructure effectively.
A 50% shareholding of joint-stock company Ulan-Batorskaya Railway is being given to OAO RZD. It will speed up the modernisation of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway infrastructure and construction of new tracks to service transit flows from Central and Eastern Asia to Europe. These programmes are being developed by OAO RZD in cooperation with Mongolian partners.
The most important thing is to find a proper instrument to attract investment into development of the Ulan-Batorskaya railway and build new lines in Mongolia.
by Ivan Stupachenko
[DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_TEXT] => In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[~PREVIEW_TEXT] => In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[~PREVIEW_TEXT_TYPE] => html
[PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[~PREVIEW_PICTURE] =>
[LANG_DIR] => /
[~LANG_DIR] => /
[CODE] => 5059
[~CODE] => 5059
[EXTERNAL_ID] => 5059
[~EXTERNAL_ID] => 5059
[IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[~IBLOCK_TYPE_ID] => info
[IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[~IBLOCK_CODE] => articles_magazines
[IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[~IBLOCK_EXTERNAL_ID] =>
[LID] => s1
[~LID] => s1
[EDIT_LINK] =>
[DELETE_LINK] =>
[DISPLAY_ACTIVE_FROM] =>
[FIELDS] => Array
(
)
[PROPERTIES] => Array
(
[AUTHOR] => Array
(
[ID] => 97
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 400
[CODE] => AUTHOR
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => Y
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:97
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[AUTHOR_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 108
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Автор фото
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 410
[CODE] => AUTHOR_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => S
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Автор фото
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:108
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[ISSUE] => Array
(
[ID] => 93
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Выпуск
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ISSUE
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => E
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => Y
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Выпуск
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] => 105268
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:93
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] => 105268
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
)
[BLOG_POST_ID] => Array
(
[ID] => 94
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_POST_ID
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => ID поста блога для комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:94
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT] => Array
(
[ID] => 95
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Количество комментариев
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => BLOG_COMMENTS_CNT
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => N
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 1
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Количество комментариев
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:95
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[MORE_PHOTO] => Array
(
[ID] => 98
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => MORE_PHOTO
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => Y
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => jpg, gif, bmp, png, jpeg
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Дополнительные фотографии
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] =>
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
[PUBLIC_ACCESS] => Array
(
[ID] => 110
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Открытый доступ
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => PUBLIC_ACCESS
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => L
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => C
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] =>
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Открытый доступ
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:110
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM_ID] =>
)
[ATTACHED_PDF] => Array
(
[ID] => 324
[IBLOCK_ID] => 25
[NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[ACTIVE] => Y
[SORT] => 500
[CODE] => ATTACHED_PDF
[DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_TYPE] => F
[ROW_COUNT] => 1
[COL_COUNT] => 30
[LIST_TYPE] => L
[MULTIPLE] => N
[XML_ID] =>
[FILE_TYPE] => pdf
[MULTIPLE_CNT] => 5
[LINK_IBLOCK_ID] => 0
[WITH_DESCRIPTION] => N
[SEARCHABLE] => N
[FILTRABLE] => N
[IS_REQUIRED] => N
[VERSION] => 2
[USER_TYPE] =>
[USER_TYPE_SETTINGS] =>
[HINT] =>
[~NAME] => Прикрепленный PDF
[~DEFAULT_VALUE] =>
[VALUE_ENUM] =>
[VALUE_XML_ID] =>
[VALUE_SORT] =>
[VALUE] =>
[PROPERTY_VALUE_ID] => 109869:324
[DESCRIPTION] =>
[~DESCRIPTION] =>
[~VALUE] =>
)
)
[DISPLAY_PROPERTIES] => Array
(
)
[IPROPERTY_VALUES] => Array
(
[SECTION_META_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_META_KEYWORDS] => “our business is stable”
[SECTION_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/2.jpg" border="1" alt="Vladimir Yakunin" title="Vladimir Yakunin" hspace="5" width="120" height="150" align="left" />In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[ELEMENT_META_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_META_KEYWORDS] => “our business is stable”
[ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION] => <img src="/ufiles/image/rus/partner/2009/1/2.jpg" border="1" alt="Vladimir Yakunin" title="Vladimir Yakunin" hspace="5" width="120" height="150" align="left" />In 2008, OAO RZD (Russian Railways) demonstrated a stable growth in throughput volume, number of serviced passengers and financial results. Naturally, the crisis impacted the company’s activities but it has managed to take proper measures in time and now OAO RZD is sure about its future. Vladimir Yakunin, President of OAO RZD, spoke about it in his interview with The RZD-Partner International.
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[SECTION_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_PREVIEW_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_ALT] => “Our Business Is Stable”
[ELEMENT_DETAIL_PICTURE_FILE_TITLE] => “Our Business Is Stable”
)
)
Copyright © 2002-2024 Учредитель ООО «Редакция журнала «РЖД-Партнер»
Информационное агентство «РЖД-Партнер.РУ»
Главный редактор Ретюнин А.С.
адрес электронной почты rzdp@rzd-partner.ru телефон редакции +7 (812) 418-34-92; +7 (812) 418-34-90
При цитировании информации гиперссылка на ИА РЖД-Партнер.ру обязательна.
Использование материалов ИА РЖД-Партнер.ру в коммерческих целях без письменного разрешения агентства не допускается.
Свидетельство о регистрации СМИ ИА № ФС77-22819 от 11 января 2006 г., выдано Федеральной службой по надзору за соблюдением законодательства в сфере массовых коммуникаций и охране культурного наследия.
Любое использование материалов допускается только при наличии гиперссылки на ИА РЖД-Партнер.ру
Разработка сайта - iMedia Solutions
