Methodological approaches evolution to container trains design with differentiated length

Abstract

The current limitations of sustainable growth of railway container traffic at the present stage are analysed. The article analyses the main organisational and technological parameters of container trains on the Russian railway network and the requirements for their implementation. It is revealed that strict compliance with the requirements to form a container train of unified length of 71 conventional wagons does not always meet the requirements of commodity owners and does not improve the conditions of supply of their products. On the other hand, in the conditions of a deficit of throughput capacities of the railway infrastructure in some directions, there is a need to increase the length of container trains up to 114-140 conventional wagons. Within the framework of the development of methodological approaches to the establishment of expedient organisational and technological requirements for the assignment of container trains, a classifier of solutions for sorting of container trains of differentiated lengths based on the technical and economic characteristics of a particular railway direction has been developed. The application of the original classifier will increase the validity of the organisation of container trains of differentiated length, taking into account the growth of commercial attractiveness of the transport service for goods owners and economic efficiency for the railway carrier and the organisers of container trains.