The paper considers regulatory support for operational processes of highly automated vehicles. Legal conditions required for insuring implementation of all stages of a full life cycle of highly automated vehicles in the territory of the Russian Federation are outlined. Structure and fundamental principles of a projected federal law regulating relations appearing in the process of circulation of highly automated vehicles in the territory of the Russian Federation are proposed.

The paper presents an analytical overview of the present state and development dynamics of the objects of transport and customs and logistics system of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Main directions for digitalisation are identified, and the need for introduction of intelligent technologies for the objectives of balanced development and increasing transit potential is justified.

The objective of the present study is to determine interrelations between adoption of sustainable development policies and efficiency of implementation of projects for development of transport infrastructure in Russia. The paper reflects results of a study which indicated that activities of transport organisations within the framework of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) conception adhering to Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) contribute to the growth of infrastructural project market and to improving operating activities of transport organisations.

Economic evaluation of digital model of business, its digital transformation, is an important instrument contributing to development and acceleration of digitalisation processes, adoption of well-founded decisions on investing company funds into digital technologies. The paper assesses influence of digital transformation of business on changing cost structure of a transport service. The main feature of transformation is accelerated investment into cutting-edge digital technologies. Dynamics of investment into digital technologies is evaluated for Russia’s transport, including railways, and elements of transport service cost on which savings can be made as a result of digitalisation of transport business are identified.

The paper is dedicated to consideration of specific features of using process approach in the control path of a shipbuilding enterprise implementing innovative development vector. The study formalised an outline of a business model of operation of an enterprise which includes nine interrelated blocks. A scheme of a conceptual model of main business processes of a shipbuilding enterprise using IDEF0 standard is developed, and key processes are described. Development and introduction of a single reference database for the industry is proposed, which would create added momentum for increasing the quality of shipbuilding products and cutting production time and costs. Results of expert evaluation are presented, and visualisation of the expected economic effect from implementation of this project is executed.

The object of this scientific study is the section of the Volga river from the Gorodets floodgates to the city of Nizhnii Novgorod (852.5 km to 899 km of the navigable pass). Nizhnii Novgorod low head waterpower development project was negatively assessed by experts. The present paper considers an alternative solution to the navigation problem in this area, which consists of construction of an additional navigable pass with lowered sill and floor of the chamber in the after bay of the waterpower development. In addition, to make navigation between Gorodets and Nizhnii Novgorod possible, for implementation of this option a navigable canal has to be created in the tideway of the Volga  a permanent dredged trench in the section between the lower access canal of the Gorodets floodgates and the zonal boundary of the thinning out of the shore of the Cheboksary Reservoir.

Wagons research and innovation company (AO NVTs Vagony) was set up in 1996 as a state unitary enterprise within the Emperor Alexander I St Petersburg State Transport University (PGUPS). The research and innovation centre carries out design and experimental, scientific research and implementation works in the sphere of modernisation and model development of rolling stock. The paper presents an analysis of major work carried out in 1996-2021, when new scientifically grounded engineering solutions that came into use on the railway transport were proposed.

The paper considers the connection between the technical condition of wagon wheels and axles and the forces of the wagon’s interaction with the railway track. It is demonstrated that forces of interaction with railway track can increase fouror five-fold if a wagon is defective. It is proposed to increase control over the technical state of wagons at admission for infrastructure after repairs to prevent the risks of incidents and to reduce spending on track maintenance.

The paper presents an extended analysis of causes of fracture in cargo wagons’ bogie springs in operation. Strains in springs at various options of lowered wedges of friction shock absorbers are determined. The need for perfecting regulatory documentation as it relates to refining test loads and setting design service life for springs as finite-life resource is shown.

The paper presents results of development of a new method for operational life testing of moulded pieces of cargo wagons’ bogies on the example of side frames. The new method ensures reliability of estimate of operational life in various zones considering real operational loading. The need for perfecting operational life testing method is established. Efficiency of the proposed method is confirmed by data of realistic tests. It was introduced in the state standard and is used in testing.

Application of interchangeable wagon bodies is considered as a promising area for increasing the efficiency of operation of cargo wagons and cutting idle time. However, there are no engineering solutions for packaged goods wagons. The paper proposes new engineering solutions for an interchangeable body that permits cutting idle time of wagons by speeding up mounting the body onto a platform wagon.

The paper presents an analysis of existing empirical and theoretical methods for determination of net specific rolling stock resistance. It was established that theoretical determination of net specific resistance is insufficiently precise, and experimental determination is characterised by high costs. Most methods of digital determination of resistance to motion can be reduced to calculation of the aerodynamic component. Due to that, conclusion was made on the need for developing a conceptually new method for determination of net specific resistance to rolling stock motion, and several problems that need to be solved in the course of research work were specified. The results of analysis thus obtained constitute a starting point and a theoretical underpinning for objective need to develop a new method for determination of net specific resistance to rolling stock motion.

The paper considers train motion through railway track irregularities in stationary conditions under the influence of tangential forces of restricted-power locomotive traction engines. Capacity value spent on overcoming net resistance forces to motion of a train consisting of 12-132 open wagons on 18-100 bogies in new and worn-out condition is determined. It is noted that dependency of capacity of the resistance force to oscillatory movement of wagons impacting on the train from motion speed has intense upsurge and wane. Regimes of driving cargo train by modern mainline locomotives at which motion disruption is possible are identified. Dependencies obtained permit to study not only stationary but also non-stationary regimes of cargo train motion with a locomotive in the front section through railway track irregularities.