An analysis of economic conditions and factors contributing to improving the efficiency of freight transport in the perspective of organizing technological outsourcing

Reforms to the railway industry have caused a number of fundamental changes to the organization of Russian railway operation. An inadequate accounting of these changes in legal and regulatory framework, technology and management practices has resulted in a significant decline in the quality of the transportation process from 2011 to 2013. To improve the competitiveness of the operator companies and their profitability it is necessary to transfer the management of vacant journeys to ‘Russian Railways’ and use technological outsourcing. The implementation of the organizational model of technological outsourcing will solve the important strategic problem of dramatically increasing the economic efficiency of freight transport by optimizing the cost of bulk transportation with a private fleet of freight companies in Russia. As a result of the arrangements by private owners of freight transport companies, as well as the development of competition within the railway industry by corporations and holding companies, there has been a rapid increase in the number of freight operating companies. At the same time, the shift from a state monopoly on the freight market to a competitive market model was not provided with corresponding changes to the regulatory framework that establishes the rules governing private rail-cars. Unresolved problems in the railway industry, in addition to infrastructural constraints in the conditions of a sharp increase in the number of railcars have both led to a breach in the reasonable balance of railcars, the growth in which has outpaced the increase in the volume of transportation work. Thus, by 2013, the fleet of Russian freight cars reached 1158.6 thousand units, which exceeded the optimal demand of cars by 28%, or 258.6 thousand wagons. These facts have simultaneously led to a decrease in income, an increase in the proportion of empty runs, and technological losses. These technological losses include the growth of freight wagon turnaround time by 2.7 days (21%), a reduction in the precinct speed of 5.2 kilometers per hour (12%), a 17% increase in shipments which arrive in violation of terms of delivery, and the reduction of the rate of delivery to 65 kilometers per day, or 23%. Given the increasing role of freight transport companies in the development of rail transport and the economy of the Russian Federation, as well as the crisis in the freight segment, technology outsourcing is now a timely and effective measure. The developing project incorporates new technological principles defining clear regulations for the technological functions of freight market participants, monthly planning of the loading and transport of empty freight cars on the basis of correspondence by operators, and the technologically rational distribution of empty wagons on public infrastructure.

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