Magazines — RZD-Partner International — 4 (28) December 2011
4 (28) December 2011
Contents
Editorial
EDITORIAL
The Russia’s transport sector has more questions than answers now. The answers are being looked for intensively, but life is consistently giving more and more challenges. A highly changing environment requires fast reactions and right decisions, and that’s the main conclusion you may come to when reading this issue.Broad gauge to set the priorities
THEME / russian railways: a bridge between asia and europe
The project of building a broad gauge railway from Russia to Europe seems to be entering the final phase. At the end of October the President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin and the CEO of the Austrian Federal Railways Christian Kern signed the agreement on working out an investment feasibility study for the project in 2011. This agreement implies also the developing of a business model and marketing strategy for the new line and terminals. According to the projections, it may take about 10 years to build the new route.
Maintaining The Leading Position on the International Arena
THEME / russian railways: a bridge between asia and europe
Alexander Saltanov, Vice President for International Activity at RZD, talks about the basic principles of the policy on which RZD’s international activity is based, and about the company’s prospective projects carried out in cooperation with foreign partners.
Heading to Mongolia
THEME / russian railways: a bridge between asia and europe
It is an open secret that Mongolia puts the development and modernization of railway infrastructure at the top of its priority list, because this country is an important transport corridor connecting Russia and China. Today Ulan-Bator Railways (UBR) account for about 80% of national cargo flows, and about 100% of import and export flows. In 2009 half of the company’s stake was handed over by the administration of the Russian Federation to Russian Railways, which made it possible to set a bold new course for UBR.
Panorama. Economics
ECONOMICS / Panorama
On October 18, Vladimir Yakunin, who in addition to being the President of RZD, is also the Chairman of the Council for Rail Transport of CIS States (CRT CIS), presented a concept for the strategic development of railway transport in the CIS member states until 2020 at a meeting of the council of CIS heads of government.Russia Tries to Restore the Public Park
ECONOMICS / Reform
Lately, Russian Railways and their clients have faced a lot of difficulties because all wagons belong to private companies and it is very hard to influence their traffic. So, Russia plans to restore the public wagon park accumulating private operators’ railcars under the single management of RZD.
Preferences are Adopted, Restrictions are Removed
ECONOMICS / state policy
Victor Olersky, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, told about the results of legislative activity for Russian waterway transport, about the measures that were taken in 2011 to support the shipping industry, as well as about the tasks and plans for the near future.
The First PPP Project in Russia
ECONOMICS / Projects and Investments
Nowadays, the need to apply public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms to carry out transport infrastructure projects is being actively discussed in Russia. Meanwhile, the first large project realised on the PPP principle is already working efficiently and developing. The Ust-Luga sea commercial port is justifiably considered the pioneer in this sector in the Russian Federation.
Reanimation of Belkomur: attempt ¹ 5
ECONOMICS / Projects and Investments
A Russian Governmental Investment Fund committee intends to come to a decision in relation to the White sea – Komi – Ural project. Experts note that this is the fifth attempt to revive a project with a 130-year history. This time connoisseurs predict that Belkomur stands a good chance of being implemented at least partially.
A tunnel under Bering Strait: to be or not to be?
ECONOMICS / Projects and Investments
The Russian Railways JSC is exploring the possibility of constructing a transcontinental rail track across the Bering Strait to connect Yakutsk and Magadan in Russia with Alaska in the USA. The proposed line including a tunnel under the Strait is called oneof the most challenging projects of the 21st century. The new road could attract up to 25% of transcontinental freight and its role in the global trade would be exceptional.
Golden Link of Russian Railways
ECONOMICS / business partners
In the middle of November, the “golden link” of the railway line Berkakit – Tommot – Yakutsk will be laid in Nizhny Bestyah settlement (the Republic of Yakutia).Thus, Railroad of Yakutia will be connected with the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian Mainlines – Russian railway lines joining eastern and western parts of the country. Very soon, Railroad of Yakutia will have direct communication with the whole railway network of the Russian Federation.
Panorama. Transportation
TRANSPORTATION / Panorama
Between January and September 2011, the volu¬me of international railway freight traffic bet-ween Russia and the Baltic countries rose to 49.3 million tons, an increase of 5.5%. Export shipments amounted to 42.6 million tons, an increase of 2.2%, import shipments to 2.7 million tons, up 78.9%, and transit goods to 4 million tons, a rise of 14.3%.Head for Europe
TRANSPORTATION / Container transportation
At the end of August 2011 the management of Russian Railways JSC discussed and adopted the Concept of integrated development of the container business of the holding. Developers of the document have tried to fix promising avenues of development of this segment of the rail industry within the next few years. Market participants note that the authors of the document should pay more attention to such issues as rate regulation, the organization of intermodal transportation as well as the actions of the holding in the sphere of transit transportation.
Transit Needs Initiatives
TRANSPORTATION / Container transportation
The dynamics of 2011 show that the recommencement of container transit via the Transsib that started in the post-crisis period has begun to slow down. Its share has been rather small in the total volume of container cargoes transported on the route lately, and now it is decreasing. Meanwhile, major players in the container transportation market have some suggestions which could help to increase the volume of cargoes carried via the Transsib, and even make the line more competitive in the future.
Logistic Operator: Making Transportation More Efficient
TRANSPORTATION / Logistics
Practice shows that the major growth in the number of new clients at RZD network is caused by intermodal transportation development, and the importance of this sector will only increase. Logistic Operator LLC is one of the leaders in this sector.
Russia will build 18 new sea ports until 2030
TRANSPORTATION / Port
The updated strategy for Russian sea ports development outlines three scenarios of industry growth up to 2030. In line with the conservative scenario, cargo capacities of Russian ports are to reach 800 million tonnes. According to the optimistic version, it will be 1.3-1.6 billion tonnes. Such a growth rate requires at least 18 new terminals to be commissioned.Russia Opens Its Rives
TRANSPORTATION / river transportation
In summer 2011, the RF Inland Water Transport Code (IWTC) declared that commercial foreign vessels may enter Russian rivers if the relative bilateral intergovernmental agreements are concluded. The first commercial ship flying the flag of the Netherlands will enter Russian inland waterways in the summer navigation of 2012. The Dutch government was the first country that officially offered to the Russian government to conclude a relative bilateral agreement allowing vessels of both states to enter sovereign waterways.Panorama. Company
COMPANY / Panorama
Russian Railways and the Polish concern PESA Bydgoszcz SA signed a contract for the manufacture and delivery of the 611M inspection railcar. The signing took place on 12 October 2011 during the 9 International Railway Fair TRAKO 2011, which was held in the Polish city of Gdansk. The railcar is designed to carry out inspections of the infrastructure of Russia’s railways. In service, the railcar can reach a maximum speed on railway lines of 160 kph and can operate in temperatures ranging from -400C to +400C. The railcar has an observation room, conference room, sanitary unit, kitchen, office and service compartment.Railcar Repair: Welcome to the Market
COMPANY / OAO RZD
In the framework of Russian Railways’ wagon repair facilities reform, three railcar repair companies, subsidiaries of RZD, separated from the Central Directorate for Cargo Railcars Repair (CDRV). This was done to demonopolise this sector, develop competition, and make companies providing rolling stock repair services more attractive for investors.
Freight One Given to Private Business
COMPANY / OAO RZD
In late October 2011, RZD held an auction to sell 75% minus 2 shares in its daughter company Freight One specialising in cargo transportation. The largest operator controlling almost a quarter of the whole Russian wagon park belongs now to the shareholders of UCL Holding.
Lost in translation? Lost in Russia!
COMPANY / Doing Business in Russia
«Âîäêà» (vodka) è «ñêèäêà» (discount) were the first words that Jorma Kervinen, former General Director of Huolintakeskus Ltd (a subsidiary of the Finnish Nurminen Logistics company), learned when he arrived to Russia and started to learn the Russian language. And as for Rolf Epstein, CEO Complete Transportation Solutions of Siemens Russia, he once offered for his partners to sit together, which in Russian means to go to jail. What is in it for the non-Russians involved in Russia’s transport sector to learn the language? The answer is clear: to drink vodka with their local partners, to get discounts and… to stay far from prison.
Locomotive Building Industry: How to Improve Quality?
PRODUCTION AND SERVICES / Rolling Stock
Locomotive manufacturers are ready for the challenges of time. Newly designed products in the locomotive building industry tested on RZD’s network are supposed to become the most efficient and advanced machinery in the whole 1520 area. At the same time, in the opinion of specialists, the quality of machinery in use leaves much to be desired.the building of the High Speed Line network: fast progress
PRODUCTION AND SERVICES / High-Speed Operation
During the construction of the High Speed Rail Line-1 (HSRL-1) more than 2,000 new jobs will be created. And during its further exploitation this figure will rise to 35,000. We have asked Denis Muratov, General Director of High-Speed Rail Lines JSC, to tell us the details of the implementation of this large-scale project.
Railways on the Screen of a PC
PRODUCTION AND SERVICES / IT
In the informational complex of RZD, there are not less than 9 million objects to be managed simultaneously (automated work places and informational systems). Thus, special approaches to the company’s computer network are needed for online control of everything that happens.The dream of Common Economic Space
PRODUCTION AND SERVICES / Customs
Founding the Customs Union (CUBKR), Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus took the first step into creating Common Economic Space. According to President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev, elimination of custom duties and establishment of common internal tariffs will let each member increase their GDP to 15% by 2015 year. Russian benefit from creating the CUBKR is estimated at USD 400 billion, Belarus and Kazakhstan –USD 16 billion each. But despite the fact that the CUBKR is going to run at a great profit, experts are still arguing about appropriateness of such integration.
