The Forum has been a vital platform for discussion in the industry ever since it was established. Participants include rail industry leaders from Europe and Asia, who gather to discuss key issues relating to the development of international rail transport corridors, increases in transit ridership, and deployment of innovative transport technologies using international best practice.
Approximately 1000 rail industry experts from 26 countries registered as participants of the Forum this year, including senior executives of national rail companies and private operators, of international associations and financial institutions, government representatives, owners of transport infrastructure, manufacturers of rail vehicles, equipment, and technologies, as well as scientists and representatives of related organisations.
Pressing issues concerning the Eurasian rail network were discussed during the Forum, including the development of a high-speed rail system, implementation of major infrastructure projects, traffic safety measures, improvements in the environmentally friendly nature of rail transport, and much more.
The General Director of OOO Aeroexpress, Alexei Krivoruchko, took an active part in the discussion on terminals as key elements of transport infrastructure, and drivers of regional development. A target terminal model as a key element of transport infrastructure focused on security, safety, service quality and economic efficiency was discussed by renowned rail specialists, including Sergei Abramov, Head of the Rail Terminal Management Company – a subsidiary of OAO Russian Railways; Mikhail Grudinin, General Director of OAO Russian Railways – Terminal Development; representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the International Union of Railways, Deutsche Bahn AG (Germany), Eurostation (Belgium), AREP (France) and Siemens (Germany).
Alexei Krivoruchko, reporting on results and potential of providing intermodal air-rail services, said: “Bearing in mind the continuing increase in the number of passengers, including passenger traffic at Moscow airports, it is obvious that it will be impossible to maintain service quality at the same level if the existing transport infrastructure is not modernised.” The number of passengers traveling on Aeroexpress in 2010 totaled 11.463 million passengers. Passenger traffic of approximately 20 million people is expected in 2015 and 30 million in 2020.
“Aeroexpress is one of the most successful examples of a public-private partnership in Russia”, said Mr Krivoruchko. The company united the efforts of Russian Railways JSC, the government of Moscow and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, in reducing traffic congestion on the main city highways, optimising road junctions, and constructing modern stations, etc. To date, the company has invested approximately RUB 13 billion in the development of intermodal rail transportation services. In the next three years Aeroexpress will focus its efforts on implementing both major and regional infrastructure projects, modernising its rolling stock, developing a joint control centre, and establishing its own rolling stock maintenance centre, etc.