Park consolidation: will win the market?
30.01.2012 (10:49)
Operators still doubt in the rationality of park consolidation. Their fears cause complexities with maintenance of a turn of cars, and problems of realization of the scheme of interaction as a whole. The General Director of "VKM-TRANS" JSC Valery Andrushin has told about his vision of a situation.
- Mr. Andrushin, do you plan to transfer the rolling stock in the consolidated park under control of RZD JSC?
- In the medium-term prospect - I don't. Firstly, for today quantity of demands from regular customers exceeds our possibilities on giving of a rolling stock by them and ourselves are interested in additional rent of cars, and secondly, we didn't give the similar offer and we aren't familiar with details of such alliance. And that daily profitable rate of gondola car (in 1074 rubles) which is resulted in a press sometimes, doesn't suit us, as current financial loading on our leasing cars is considerably above.
- Does "VKM-TRANS" company practice the delivery-attraction of the rolling stock?
- We resort to this tool for the maximum satisfaction of our portfolio of orders. As to a lease term of involved park, we work only on long-term basis that's mean, that term of rent is not less than year, and only with proprietors of cars, that allows to lower a cost of transportation to our clients.
- How do you estimate the efficiency of similar forms of interaction for the market of transportations as a whole?
- I think that such way of formation of Carload Park by operators has clearly market character and allows most effective of its to consolidate in the management necessary quantity of cars. And the market will win from this.
- Why operators aren't ready yet to transfer the rolling stock in the park AG, in your opinion?
- Here is pertinently to remind, that institute of operators is created as a result of railway transport reforming as the tool market, allowing to improve transport maintenance of cargo owners and that's why the idea of transfer of the cars to foreign integrator should cause in operators feeling of resistance because this action leads to domination of the competitor-integrator and decrease of own potential. Another matter is proprietors of cars who have no experience and structure of management of the cars.
- What measures does RZD JSC have to take for increasing of motivation of the operator companies?
- Transfer of the park to one large player can be acceptable for the transport community if RZD JSC will formulate its proposal in the form of the public offer for all participants of the market on a voluntary basis and by the attractive rent rates differentiated depending on age and model of the car. And, of course, RZD JSC should solve the numerous internal problems for achieving the effective utilization of created General Park of cars with the profitableness which is paying expenses of operators on acquisition and the maintenance of cars.
- Mr. Andrushin, how much real do you imagine the option of consolidation of the rolling stock inside of the operator community by analogy to park AG?
- In my opinion, possibility of it is high, but this process will pass in the form of merges and absorption. And no more than three-five network integrators can arrange for the consolidation as participants of the agreement. Herewith regulators should control this process that consolidation of park by forces of operator community doesn't lead to cartel arrangements with purpose of getting of super incomes. I think, hardly independent operators can satisfy all demands of clients within the bounds of base tariffs of the Price-list ¹ 10-01, considering that fact that the current prices for the rolling stock and complexity with maintenance of settlement turn of cars form higher rates.
Interviewed by Kristina Aleksandrova
Print version
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