One of the main tasks to be solved within the railway restructuring framework was improvement of investment opportunities in the railway industry. However in the course of the reform no cardinal growth of investment attractiveness of railway transport was observed. The sole exception is railway car fleet which showed 40-percent increase during the decade in terms of stable route-length of the RZD network, thus bringing the diminishing returns law in action on railway transport. To avoid reduction in efficiency of railway transport and downturn in the economy-essential transport services the development of infrastructure and traction power complex should be intensified and brought into line with the development of railway rolling stock fleets and challenging traffic demand of the economy and population. And with this not only average level of the demand but also its geographic and seasonal fluctuations must be considered. Critical solutions must be found to get underway a full-dress investment process corresponding to the railway industry development strategy. To secure this objective one ought to combine broadening the RZD market opportunities with attracting private investments to railway infrastructure sector. It is necessary to switch railway system to market relations to the maximum possible extent in terms of traffic fares, property management, investments etc. And this is going to be cardinal solution of the railway transport development problem allowing to reduce the demand for budgetary appropriations by way of replacing public investments with private ones in the macroeconomic environment characterized by budgetary limitations. To solve the problem of capital mobilization for railway transport development there is needed more profound market-oriented reform of regulatory model of the JSC RZD financing and tariff setting activities.

The paper deals with methodological approaches and practical venues of international cooperation in the areas of information security and cybersecurity on railway transport. The approaches were adopted by the workshop “Cybersecurity on Railway Transport” established within the framework of the COLOPOFER program. There are analyzed main factors and prerequisites governing the necessity of hacking countermeasures on the part of railway IT infrastructure. Also discussed are cybersecurity related definitions. There are presented principal provisions of normative techniques being developed by the international workshop “Cybersecurity on Railway Transport”. Basic IT information infrastructure objects of railway transport are characterized with respect to their hacking susceptibility and their most vulnerable components are highlighted. There is presented classification of the types of computer attacks and their implementation me-dia. Also discussed are organizational and routine hacking countermeasures to be taken in the railway IT infrastructure environment.

The paper contains synopsis of High Speed Rail (HSR) projects in Russia (inclusive of high-speed rolling stock) for the years 1974 - 2014. There are discussed basic outcomes of high-speed EMU trains Sapsan and Allegro operation between Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Helsinki. A strategic study on the implementation of a 1520mm-gauge High Speed Rail network in Russia with the maximum speed up to 400 kph was launched by the JSC RZD in 2013. The paper presents information about Moscow - Yekaterinburg HSR-2 line inclusive of main infrastructure characteristics and applicable technical requirements to the HSR EMU train covering its configuration, vehicle gauge, tractive characteristics, aerodynamics, electrical power supply system and passenger car interiors. The discussed technical requirements were developed and approved by RZD on June 8, 2015. Definition of the high-speed train key parameters and specifications is based upon ingenious method. To decide on the concept of the train and its main technical characteristics there were investigated its recently developed closest analogues with design speed ranging from 360 to 400 kph. Target values of basic parameters were estimated with allowance for the specific requirements imposed to the Russian high speed train in the context of agreed HSR-2 standards. Given that the designing phase of the Moscow - Kazan high speed railway is underway the defined key train parameters and specifications are recommended for use in further calculations. Basic provisions of the paper were first unveiled in 2015 at the 9th UIC World Congress on High Speed Rail in Tokyo.

In 2009 there were constructed and brought into pilot operation two sections of RHEDA 2000 ballastless track designed by RailOne (Germany) with the participation of JSC ‘‘Roszheldorproekt”, one of them on the Moskovskaya Railway (in the VNIIZhT’s Testing Center at the station of Scherbinka) and another - on Oktyabr’skaya Railway (on the open line between Sablino and Kolpino). Prior to and in the course of pilot operation the VNIIZhT experts conducted actual loading tests at both sections and routine observations of various ballastless track components’ behaviour under increasing passed tonnage conditions. There are presented the most significant test and observation results as well as test results based conclusions.

There is proposed finite-element model of current/temperature distribution in a DC overhead catenary and are described basic principles of its generation. The author analyzes existing calculation procedures of the current distribution/catenary wire heating and highlightes their limitations. Based on the calculation results there are discussed typical current modes and thermal conditions of the key design components of DC catenary design versions enjoying wide application on railway transport (such as contact wire, catenary messenger, line feeder, Z-type anchor, electrical connectors and droppers). Two cases are analyzed, inclusive of traction current transit along the constant tension section and current pick-off by current collector passing along this section. On the basis of analysis there are indicated structural weakness areas of the catenary and is proposed method for their neutralization.

Human capital management of (just as management of any other sort accumulated resources) is of prime importance in the context of corporate management system. It is commonly known to comprise six functions, such as staff recruitment, leadership development, workforce planning, work execution control, professional training and employee retention. Each of them requires certain investment expenditures for generation and development. At the present time paradigm is being generated giving the palm to education in the context of human capital management and development. Special attention is paid to career broadening programs, insofar as supplementary professional education enhances the value of human capital. For closer affinity between professional education and business strategy training need estimation proceeds rather from the business feedback than from the employee one. The authors apply Becker’s approach (Howard Becker was one of the most talented modern economists) in the context of on-site professional training orientations (namely specialized and general ones) while treating them as peculiar study modes. As exemplified by JSC RZD and JSC VNIIZhT as its subsidiary there were discussed and analyzed approaches to specialized training issues covering a) enterprise system of vocational adaptation for employees and b) system of supplementary professional training and business education for managers and experts. Outcomes of the analysis paved the way for recommendation on the actualization of the JSC VNIIZhT human resource management strategy in the part of employee turnover. Refining of this strategy can be achieved through use of special-purpose ‘Plan for adaptation period upon entry into employment’ (draft plan is presented in the paper). The assessment problem of return on investments in human capital proves to be a rather topical one for business managers. That’s why the present paper contains calculation procedure to be used for economic appraisal of return on investments in the human resource training.

To adapt container flats for transportation of high-capacity reefers (HCR) there was developed stand-alone power supply system (SAPSS) to be mounted on the flatcar three-piece freight bogie. Such a system ensures power supply to HCR all over the travel route by rail. One of the SAPSS key components proves to be generator drive unit comprising generator, V-belt transmission and single-reduction gear unit with dissectible driving gear mounted in the midpart of the wheelset axle. To confirm workability of the generator drive unit and obtain its pull and energy characteristics there were conducted rig tests of its prototype using for this purpose exerciser developed by the VNIIZhT design center. The exerciser was equipped with instrumentation systems capable to determine V-belt tension by the tension screw force value and assess slipping by rotating speeds of the driving and driven V-belt pulleys. Rig tests implied container flat running at various speeds. Three SAPSS loading modes were tested inclusive of open circuit operation. There was purposely developed testing procedure, allowing to assess slipping of the V-belt transmission within the accuracy of 0.01 %. Experimental data were collated with calculation results obtained by the authors beforehand. The SAPSS prototype tests outcomes evidence that generator drive unit is capable to support the system operation at power levels up to 16±1 kW within the container flat running speed range from 30 to 132 kph.

While justifying selection of steel grades for replaceable cast parts as well as service life and interrepair run guidelines of freight cars to be operated on the JSC RZD network it is necessary to take into account its severe climatic environment. The authors highlight the appropriateness of examination of metal specimens taken from tank-car thin-walled shells being in service for as long as 10 to 20 years in order to identify loss of the shell material ductility. The specimens must be cut out at areas where shells are fixed to the tank-car frames. Within the framework of conformity validation strength assessment of welded car components shall be performed on the basis of static and impact tests in terms of the I and III regimes as in the design and calculation norms related to 1520 mm gauge railway cars of MPS-Russia (non-self-propelled ones). Exception to this applies to cars with welded solebars and a long distance between truck centers. In this case strength conformity assessment shall be based on the endurance tests results. Underframe bolster ends of freight cars intended for transportation by ferry ought to be additionally equipped with two strainers designed for loads 150 kN each. Cars with axle-load exceeding 235 kN ought to be equipped in the midpart with additional strainer on each side. In the case of bridge constructed across the Kerch Strait at a quickened pace it is necessary to consider wind loading on railway rolling stock at the level of 1,250 kPa retaining the value of 500 kph for the rest of the JSC RZD network.

The paper tackles methodological approaches to determination of traffic demand development trends on the main routes of the JSC RZD network as well as principles of railway lines classification on the basis of long-distance traffic volume dynamics. The classification procedure employs algorithms of analytic passenger traffic flow investigations based on the up-to-date techniques of mathematical statistics and marketing analysis, as well as criteria and order of the JSC RZD network routes classification suppotring their prioritization in the context of infrastructure development. Long-distance passenger traffic volumes, forecasted continuity of traffic demand evolution, seasonal factors and competitiveness degree of passenger traffic flow routes were adopted as criteria of railway lines” multidimentional classification. Objects of classification involved in route formation are individual stations and groups of stations entering railway junctions, urban communities, constituent territories of the Russian Federation and individual railways as well as territorial station clusters entering megacities, resort areas and airport adjacent territories. Analytic base has been developed relying on collection and systematization of actual passenger traffic flow data of individual JSC RZD network routes for the years 2006 - 2014 and corresponding actual data related to competitive air transport. Methodical ware developed by the authors serves as analytic base, supporting rationalization processes dealing with the system of railway passenger services and generation of route network on the basis of actual passenger correspondences and long-term variation trends.