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RZD-Partner International
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4 (16) November - February 2008-2009
Baltic Ports: Freight War in the Face of an Economic CrisisAfter the beginning of economic instability caused by the world financial crisis, the fight between the former Soviet ports on the Baltic Sea may become even more bitter. Are the largest Russian players happy with their position? What are their chances of coming out on top? What strategy will they choose in these new, difficult conditions?
New Life Is Promised To BAM
The Baikal-Amur Mainline railroad (from East Siberia to Far East) runs through an area rich in mineral resources desired in the People's Republic of China. In 2007-2008, OAO RZD and a number of private companies have undertaken efforts to modernise BAM. One can see evidence of the fact that, in the near future, BAM will come out of its present poor state to become one of the busiest railroads in Russia.
More Than Half Of The Park Is In Private Hands
Reform of Russia's railway transport structure should be completed in 2010. Perhaps, one of its few conclusively positive results is the emergence of new, independent players on the market, private operators and development of competition between them and OAO Russian Railways.
3 (15) August-November 2008
Load Money in WagonsA highly regulated industry with a low level of transparency in a country described in the Western press as a cradle of excessive bureaucracy and corruption. Add to this the ongoing global financial crisis and you will see the reason why a parade of IPOs of Russian rail operators suddenly looks a bit of unlikely. Despite all the problems RZD's subsidiaries and independent companies are going to pull money from stock exchanges and some of them have already handled the task successfully.
Olympic Sochi: Unique Transport Solutions
The transport infrastructure in Sochi will take up a big part of the funds allocated to preparations for the Winter Olympics in 2014. The management of OAO RZD, in turn, plans to spend almost 300 billion roubles for Olympic projects alone, as well as organise high-speed links between Moscow and Adler.
The First Public-Private Road In Russia
The first project in this field started in summer 2008 in Saint Petersburg when the winners of a tender to build the West High-Speed Diameter (WHD) highway. This highway will connect different parts of the city.
2 (14) April-June 2008
Logistics Destroys Borders: The question whether to open a representative office or not is urgent for many Russian transport and logistics companies. RZD Conquers The Middle East: Early this year, OAO RZD won several international tenders held in Saudi Arabia and Algeria. Also, the first infrastructure contract with Iran was concluded. Meanwhile, OAO RZD waits for new tenders.
“Freight Will Always Find The Path Of Least Resistance”: Mr Stig Nerdal, UIC Project Director, talks about the opportunities for integrating the RF into the international transport system.
Spending a Sixth of Annual Revenue on Repairs: The main problems for private wagon owners in Russia are the quality and terms of repair as well as harmonisation of the delivery process for spares.
1 (13) February 2008
OAO RZD: Export Services to India: Lately, OAO RZD has actively been promoting its developments in the international transport market and shown much interest in participation with foreign infrastructure projects.Russian Ports Are Losing Metallurgical Cargoes: Russian portmen will have to think over how they can keep ferrous metallurgy production from being re-directed to competitors and onland border crossings; and rolling stock operators will have to decide on how to use universal and special parks more efficiently.
There Are No Rules, But The Game Is Going On: In OAO RZD a new department has been created – the Department of Freight Transportation Marketing and Tariff Policy. It is headed by a famous specialist in transport circles, Evgeny Mikhailov, who used to be Deputy Director of the Tariff State Regulation and Infrastructure Reforms Department in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. In his exclusive interview with The RZD-Partner International magazine, Mr Mikhailov talked about the targets of the new department and about his vision for tariff reform.
4 (12) December-February 2007
ÎŔÎ RZD outlines the long-term targets: Railway engineering development passes ahead of the general rates of industrial development in Russia. OAO RZD Vice-President Valentin Gapanovich comments on the basic prospects of the sector, production acceptance criteria and problems the national engineering sector is to face in the near future. Target-Oriented Development: At present the RF Ministry of Transport is developing a new Federal target programme “Development of Transport System of Russia” with the budget worth RUR 3 trln. The programme will be implemented in 2010–2015 and is aimed at modernization of large-scaled projects in road, railway and sea transport.
Let’s fight rolling stock deficit!: Deficit in rolling stock has resulted in railway machine engineering boom and as a result growth of demand for new railway engineering production by OAO RZD and private operators. In 2007 growth of rolling stock production is estimated at 15%.
3 (11) September-November 2007
To WTO with new services: OAO RZD is deeply involved into services improvement and launching the system of international standards. This strategy became more crucial in the view of forthcoming joining the WTO and necessity to develop the transit potential of the country, believes OAO RZD Vice-President, CEO of First Cargo Company Salman Babayev.Outsourcing in retailing sector: The experience of developed states proves that retailing is very interested in partnership with external providers of transport and logistic services. According to the money turnover, Russian retailing will reach the international level in two or three years: its volume will be comparable with the one of German and French networks. Still, cooperation between Russian retailers and logisticians falls behind the world tendencies. Retailers are not satisfied with the quality of logistic providers’ services, although they consider them their future strategic allies.
1520 Gauge Goes to Europe: ÎŔÎ RZD initiated the project of 1520 gauge railway construction in Europe. This line will cross several European states and join Russia and Austria. In the opinion of its developers, this project will allow to increase the railway transportation volume between Europe and Russia having turned the route into an attractive opportunity for cargo owners.
2 (10) June - August 2007
We Are Speaking of DevelopmentTraditionally each spring Igor Levitin, the RF Transport Minister, gives his exclusive interview to The RZD-Partner International business magazine where he analyzes the year’s results and emphasizes new focuses and prospects.
Olympic Sochi – Area for New Logistic Technologies
If Sochi wins the competition for the right to hold XXII Winter Olympic Games, the success of this event will partly depend on how coordinated and well-organized the work of the city’s transport system is. And railway is one of the key components in it.
Does TransSib Have a Chance?
Last year the aggregate volume of container transportation via the TransSib grew by 8%. It is not a very impressive result, though, considering recent tariff fluctuations, it was not expected at all. Nevertheless, the volume of transit flows amounted to 40 thousand TEU only, showing a drop by 68% (compared to 126 thousand in 2005). In this respect some questions arise: where the remaining part of transit went, what the structure of present day cargo turnover looks like and when thousands of container units will come back to the TransSib.
1 (9) March-May 2007
WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK: 2006 was dramatic for Russia’s railways as the industry goes through a period of fundamental transformation. The main actor in the reform and at the same time the company most affected by the changes is OAO RZD (Russian Railways). Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways, comments on OAO RZD’s achievements in 2006 and the prospects for the reform.COAL SECTOR: NEW URGE: In 2006 loading of coal increased by 3.3% year-on-year, which exceeds the rates of the average loading on OAO RZD’s network and the company’s plan. During the first ten days of January, the loading volume of the cargo increased by 13.6% year-on-year, which proves that the interest to the Russian solid fuel is high on both the domestic and foreign markets, in spite of the warm winter.
REFCONTAINER PATIENCE: Considering the world tendency for cargo containerization, more and more attention is paid to the use of refrigerator containers to transport perishable goods. However, problems of refcontainers used for domestic transportation in Russia exceed the obvious prospects of this technology.
