It’s impossible to use digital technologies without using the amount of information coming from various systems designed to manage the transportation process and plan its work, taking into account modern economic requirements and resource constraints. Digital twins are currently the most promising tool for solving the problems of managing technically rich multi-level assets, which include railway transport. The track facilities are one of the most expensive assets, and the issues of organizing the management of the maintenance of the railway track are very acute, since they are directly related to the safety of train traffic, therefore, the development of a digital twin of the railway track is a priority task for track science. A digital twin of a railway track should contain elements of BigData technology in the form of arrays of diagnostic data coming online from mobile and stationary diagnostic tools, an array of passport data about the track device, as well as a set of models that can convert this data into matrices “state — action”, suitable for making organizational and technical decisions on the management of the track complex, starting from the level of linear enterprises and ending with network tasks. The article presents models that can be taken as a foundation for building digital twins of a railway track. The results of verification and approbation of the proposed models in the “Neyroekspert-Put’” software package are also presented.

In modern conditions of economic instability in various sectors of industry for the national economic complex, it is important to improve the technology for repairing parts of power units, while the development of modern technological methods for restoring the contact surfaces of parts should be carried out in the conditions of enterprises and be accessible. The article compares the most common methods of surface parts restoration, such as flame, plasma spraying and electric arc surfacing. Studied experience of various specialists working in this direction made it possible to implement these reduction methods using a charge based on a mineral tungsten-containing concentrate, boron and carbon. The process of alloying the resulting coatings was investigated, where tungsten is in the form of tungsten trioxide (WO3) and calcium tungstate (CaWO4). A comparative analysis of the methods for restoring the surface of the exhaust valve cone of the D49 diesel engine has been carried out. The article presents results of microand macroanalysis of the structures of the obtained coatings and the base metal of the restored part, the results of the analysis of the chemical composition, the evaluation of the microhardness and adhesive strength of the adhesion of the obtained coatings to the surface of the base metal. Authors substantiated the prospect of applying the methods of gas-thermal restoration of the surface of parts in relation to the method of electric arc surfacing. Subsequent studies will focus on the installation of remanufactured parts in the internal combustion engine of the locomotive, their operation in real conditions, and the assessment of reliability and durability. Research in this direction will improve the quality indicators of the restored surfaces of power unit parts of rolling stock.

Operation of sectioning posts of the AC catenary at the disconnectors on the Gorkovskaya railway for a period of more than 60 years has shown its reliable operation, and the maintenance was reduced to a minimum. However, due to the growth of heavy haul and high-speed traffic on a number of sections, their reconstruction was required. In accordance with the current regulatory documents, such a reconstruction provides for the transfer of the operation of sectioning posts from disconnectors to circuit breakers. In connection with the reliable operation of the sectioning posts on disconnectors and the simplicity of their maintenance, it is proposed to expand the options for the reconstruction of the sectioning posts on the disconnectors and to introduce three reconstruction options into the regulatory documents. The first option provides for the reconstruction of the sectioning post with disconnectors by transferring it to the classic scheme with four switches, as indicated in the current regulatory documents. The second option provides for leaving the sectioning post at the disconnectors, but adding a fast-acting automatic reclosing device in the inter-substation zone in case of passing short circuits. The third option provides for the reconstruction of the sectioning post on disconnectors with the introduction of a vacuum circuit breaker into the bus of the post and a device for high-speed automatic reclosing and opening of the disconnector, in the zone of which a short circuit has occurred. The schemes of automatic devices for determining a stable (passing) short circuit in a traction network and a device for determining the location of damage are considered. The operation of the sectioning posts, reconstructed according to the indicated options, has been tested practically at the existing sections of the power supply of the traction network of the Gorkovskaya railway. All of them have shown high reliability.

Currently, an asynchronous variable frequency drive based on semiconductor converters is widely used due to the relative simplicity and reliability of the design. The use of digital microprocessor systems ensures high accuracy and flexibility of drive control. On the domestic rolling stock, the widespread introduction of asynchronous motors began to replace DC traction motors with sequential excitation. In particular, scalar-controlled asynchronous motors are used on serially produced 2TE25A diesel locomotives and EP20 electric locomotives. The auxiliary asynchronous machines of these locomotives are controlled by the vector control method. The use of a new type of engine on the rolling stock makes it possible to achieve a significant increase in the quality of consumed energy and reduce the consumption of electricity for traction of trains. Ensuring the energy efficiency of the drive in a wide range of loads requires further research. In this regard, the issue of saving energy resources becomes very urgent. The article proposes a vector control scheme for asynchronous motors of auxiliary machines of an electric locomotive, which implements an extreme method of control according to the criterion of minimizing the consumed current. The analysis of the engine operation is carried out based on its mathematical model in a rotating coordinate system d — q, which is implemented in the MatLab/Simulink software package. As a result of simulation modeling, it was found that the extreme control system with a variable step allows for each fixed value of the electromagnetic moment of the motor in the minimum time to find the optimal (extreme) value of the magnetic flux of the motor rotor, which corresponds to the minimum value of the stator current. The developed model of the motor with vector control is supplemented with an extreme regulator device, which allows achieving the best energy performance of the motor and reducing electrical losses in all operating modes with a minimum search time. The presented research results can be used in the development of energy-saving control systems for an asynchronous motor.

The system of training personnel in the field of logistics and supply chain management is currently experiencing an increasing impact of digitalization. The object of the research is the current state of this system in Russia.
It is claimed that digitalization will change the requirements for personnel involved in logistics, so the appearance of a new position — administrator of digital logistics and supply chain management (administrator of material flows digitalization) — seems logical.
To assess the consequences of digitalization of the personnel training system, the methodology of the theory of inventive problem solving was used. In accordance with this methodology, the subjects of the Russian education system are distinguished that perform the following functions: “calculator” (Ministry of Education and Science, etc.), “source of energy” (institutions of preschool, secondary and additional education), “engine” (institutions of secondary specialized and higher education), “transmission” (organizations for the employment of specialists in the field of logistics), “working body” (enterprises and organizations in which logistics specialists work).
Quantitative dependencies and models are proposed for assessing the effectiveness of the Russian system of personnel training in the field of logistics and supply chain management. The performance of each element of the personnel training system has been determined. It is stated that this system does not fully meet the needs of the market and the expectations of students, and also indirectly inhibits the transition from competition between individual manufacturers to competition in supply chains, thereby holding back the development of the Russian economy.

Labor productivity in railway transport is determined using the “reduced performance” indicator, which is formed using a reduction factor designed to take into account the difference in unit costs of the payroll fund when performing a unit of work performance: ton-kilometers in freight traffic and passenger-kilometers in passenger traffic. The article reflects the results of a study to determine the value of the passenger turnover reduction factor in the formation of the total transportation performance of Russian Railways in modern conditions. The relevance of the revision of the current reduction factor is due to a change in the organizational structure as a result of the reform of railway transport, an increase in costs per unit of production by improving the quality of passenger traffic, strengthening security measures at stations and platforms, development of electronic passenger information systems, a significant increase in the volume of high-cost types of high-speed and high-speed passenger transportation.
A comparative analysis of the costs of the payroll fund in passenger and freight traffic in the context of tariff components is carried out. The comparison was carried out both in general and differentially for each type of activity carried out by the company in the passenger complex, namely: the provision of services for long-distance and suburban passenger transportation, long-distance passenger transportation and suburban traffic, carried out in high-speed rolling stock. The most costly items in each facility were identified, which characterize the labor intensity by type of activity of Russian Railways. For calculating the labor productivity of the company's employees, proposals have been developed for the formation of the reduced freight turnover using a single coefficient for passenger turnover, equal to 3.7.

In a constantly changing world, any production activity, including transport, requires scientific support, which, in turn, involves the active participation of scientists, as well as the possibility of exchanging views between theorists and practitioners. One of the most effective formats for this is a scientific conference, which allows discussing long-term trends in the development of the industry and ways of early adaptation to them. In the railway sector, scientific conferences have become a regular and effective tool for discussing promising trends in the industry.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin declared 2021 the Year of Science and Technology. In this regard, it is symbolic that on August 26–27, 2021, the 1st International Scientific and Practical Conference “Science 1520 VNIIZHT: Look Beyond the Horizons” was held on the territory of Test Loop of the JSC “VNIIZHT”. The JSC Railway Research Institute, a leader in the development, creation, testing and implementation of railway equipment and technologies in the 1520 mm track space organized the conference. At the conference, reports were presented both by practitioners and acting managers, and by theoretical scientists. The conference was organized in the form of parallel working sections, the main results of which were discussed at a panel discussion. According to the presentation of the heads of the thematic sections, the best speakers were awarded with diplomas, including many young scientists. According to the assessments of managers and employees of railway enterprises and suppliers, the conference was a useful and longawaited international event in railway science and practice.