The article describes application of models of information probabilistic situations for solving problems of traffic control on the railway. The content of situational control is revealed. The difference between a visual and a «blind» situation during vehicle’s movement is shown.

The information situation around a moving object can be deterministic and stochastic. The concept of a stochastic information control situation is introduced. The choice of alternatives in stochastic control situations is characterized by organizational, technological, and informational uncertainties.

This motivates development of control methods and algorithms that consider uncertainty and multicriteria in control of moving objects in such situations. Situational control can be used in automated, cyber-physical and intelligent control.

The article proposes a model for controlling mobile objects based on a probabilistic approach in a stochastic situation and on the consideration of a number of stochastic factors. The model is based on calculating the probability of existence of an obstacle in the path of a vehicle. Such a model can be used under the conditions of poor visibility and a probability of receiving erroneous information from sensors. The article gives a systematics of the probabilistic characteristics of a stochastic information situation accompanying a moving object. The application of dichotomous and oppositional analysis in studying obstacles on the route has been substantiated. The model for detecting a foreign object on a traffic route is based on the assumption of the presence of reliable and erroneous information. The analysis is based on Dempster–Schafer theory. The stochastic information situation model uses the probabilistic characteristics of the presence of an obstacle on the track. The probability of an object’s existence is estimated using Bayes’ theorem. The proposed model considers three factors of the stochastic situation: informational uncertainty in the signal; false signals, sensor measurement error. The field of application of this situational model comprises digital railway, intelligent transport systems, transport cyber-physical systems.

The objective of the article is to obtain dependencies linking time spent by passengers on travel by public transport with the main factors that form the elements of this time spending. The research used methods of analytical modelling, mathematical and transport statistics, survey, analytical and logical analysis, methodology of transport research.

Mathematical models for estimating passenger travel time in cities using public transport are considered. Attention is drawn to formation of each of the elements of travel time and to the relationship of these elements with each other. Such elements comprise time of walking to the stopping point of departure and of walking from the stopping point of arrival to the destination of the trip; waiting time for boarding a vehicle; travel time spent in a vehicle along the route. The dependences of these elements on the factors that form time spending have been identified. The increase in time spent waiting for boarding a vehicle is investigated depending on reduction in the planned number of vehicles due to breakdowns. The above models can be used in transport planning and assessing quality o f public transportation in terms of passenger travel time.

Contemporary smart mobility technology makes it possible to solve the problems of urban transport, improving quality of urban mobility, increasing availability of transport, and ensuring its efficiency. The objective of the study is to identify key trends of research on smart mobility in recent scientific sources. The author, using VOS Viewer program, carried out a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases and containing keywords related to smart urban mobility. Co-citations, cross-references, shared keywords, co-authorships have been analyzed for the entire set of selected publications. As a result, a map of links between publications in the field of smart mobility was built, defining existing relationships between keywords and authors in this area. Also, a map of clusters was built , which displays proximity of publications to each other. A cluster comprises a group of research closely related via research topics, authors, and keywords. Clustering of publications was conducted followed by identifying six clusters, each of which reflects single promising research area in the field of smart mobility. The results obtained make it possible to identify promising development trends for smart mobility through automated processing of a highquality array of publications. The results can be used by municipal officials, transportation business and academia to review and analyze emerging smart mobility technologies and to make informed urban transport planning decisions.

The article analyzes the mechanisms of crushed stone flying on high-speed railways. The objective of the work was to study and identify main mechanisms entailing flight of crushed stone from the ballast bed. It is substantiated that the main mechanism consists in squeezing of crushed stone particles from the upper layer of granules and their rise above the crushed stone bed following the action of longitudinal and transverse stresses in ballast, and that the most probable places of ejection of crushed stone particles is the border of contact between sleepers and the upper layer of the crushed stone bed.

The physics of this process is presented, which consists in lifting ballast by turbulent vortices, suspension of crushed stone particles over the bed under the influence of vibration, in collision of moving particles and the process of squeezing and ejection of ballast granules. The reasons for the occurrence of horizontal and lateral stresses in crushed stone ballast are shown.

Communication with mobile objects in railway transport is carried out only by radio, therefore, it is of interest to maximize frequency efficiency and noise immunity of radio communication. This can be achieved using a double absolute phase-shift keying (DPSK) at 180о, but in practice it is still not used due to reverse operation of both coherent detectors of its signals.

The objective of this article is to develop a coherent detector without reverse operation, which allows to use it in practice without reducing its noise immunity. A filter-phase method of forming single-sideband with phase shift keying at 180о (SSB PSK) is proposed, which is equivalent to DPSK in frequency efficiency.

The proposed coherent detector of DPSK signals includes a reference waveform shaper (RWS) shaping the waveform from the input signal, two coherent detectors and introduced post-detector units that eliminate reverse operation of these coherent detectors. Singlelane PSK is formed using clipped speech signal and its quadrature.

Analysis of efficiency of transport systems using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel is impossible without a comprehensive understanding of the volumes of fuel LNG losses from evaporation during main technological operations: transportation (storage), bunkering, and cool-down of fuel tanks. Despite active development of water and land natural gas vehicles, practical approaches for obtaining appropriate estimates in a wide range of characteristics of cargo tanks have not been previously published.

The objective of this work is to analyze LNG losses in road, rail and ship tanks (with a capacity of up to 5600 m3), as well as in tank containers, provided that LNG is stored with an overpressure of about 5–7 atmospheres.

In the work, numerical modelling was used as a method. The evaporation process of LNG is described using models of heat exchange between the liquid phase of LNG, its vapours, as well as a cargo tank and the external environment. This makes it possible to simulate the behaviour and phase transformations of LNG during its storage in a tank, as well as during main technological operations. Numerical modelling of thermodynamic processes during storage of LNG is performed using a computer simulation model implemented in AnyLogic environment. Quantitative estimates of LNG losses during bunkering and cool-down of fuel tanks were obtained based on analytical calculations.

An analysis of sensitivity of the created models to various parameters, as well as massive numerical calculations, made it possible to construct regression relationships to determine LNG losses during operations under consideration. The obtained dependencies can be used to search for the most effective configurations of the system for low-tonnage LNG transportation, as well as to perform economic assessments of feasibility of using LNG as fuel for water and land transport.

Sustainable development of any of the systems is impossible without long-term planning. The mechanism for implementing long-term planning in terms of providing transportation services to the population is development of relevant transport planning documents, namely: programs for integrated development of transport infrastructure, integrated traffic management schemes, integrated schemes for organizing public transportation services for the population.

This article is devoted to the analysis of typical mistakes that can be made by developers of relevant documents. The objective of the article is to highlight key errors, to reduce their number, and to improve, accordingly, quality of the documents being developed.

In preparing the article, the author used the comparative analysis of transport planning documents developed and approved by the authorities of large and largest cities, as well as the requirements regarding their content established by regulatory documents.

The article, referring to Russian practices, provides a breakdown of transport planning documents by key mandatory sections. Typical mistakes in development of each of them are highlighted. The article ends with description of key areas capable to reduce risks in development and further approval of transport planning documents.

General approaches revealed in the research are to great extent of universal nature, so the results can be applied to development of other transport documents besides those mentioned in the article, as well as in other countries.

The article discusses the process of planning the work of urban transport operations in the form of an integrated transport scheme (ITS), which is the transport part of the master plan for development of a city, and studies organization of urban transport. The objective of the article is to formulate the main directions of developments in the field of transport planning based on modern domestic and foreign experience and knowledge, and on retrospective analysis of changes in the field of urban transport planning.

The methodology is presented for the conditions prevailing in the Russian Federation, the peculiarity of which comprise a relatively late (compared to European countries and the USA), but rapidly developing motorization of the country, a change in qualifications of specialists working in the field of urban transport planning, a certain loss of experience and skills in development of ITS in recent years.

The suggested conclusions represent a brief description of the concept of a common toolkit, a scheme and the most promising methods for developing approaches to development of integrated transport schemes and require further in-depth research in each specific segment.

In modern market environment efficiency of corporate governance is of particular importance for a company’s activity to raise its competitiveness. It is completely true regarding foreign and Russian transport companies.

The Russian Railways holding company is among global leading transport and logistics companies. Considering the large scale activity of JSC Russian Railways particularly determined by the length and geographically extensiveness of its network, its involvement in solution of large social and economic problems, and in the context of the study of the practices of world lading transport companies it is worthwhile to generalize the experience of development of corporate policy of JSC Russian Railways, and of processes of updating of its corporate governance system.

The article contains generalized reviewing and brief analysis of above topics based on published corporate documents and suggests a basis for further research.

The process of unloading iron ore raw materials of the metallurgical plant to the sinter plant has not been considered for a long time as a particular topic. Over the last years the conditions of metallurgical production have undergone certain changes: its intensification has occurred, which entails the need to re-evaluate parameters of stable operation of sinter production. The objective of the suggested study is to consider the issues of possible technical and technological improvement harmonizing transport flows with the requirements of the main production process. To achieve this goal, a technique of mathematical modelling is used, based on the mathematical apparatus of linear programming; graphic-analytical method; method of probability theory.

The issues of the process of unloading, storage of iron ore raw materials, of their preparation for sinter production are primarily considered.

The article presents the main positions of the process of optimizing unloading of sinter batch of a metallurgical plant.

The general characteristics of the technology of metallurgical production and of each particular process are described. The agglomeration process is considered in more detail. The tables of initial iron ore raw materials for sintering production for certain reporting periods are given, for the sake of clarity, the data of one of the tables are summarized in a diagram. A diagram of a standard trestle-type ore warehouse is considered, which sequentially shows the main processes of sintering production from supply of raw materials to the car dumper to getting through a belt conveyor into a stack, and then into receiving bins. The article also provides an example of formation of piles of iron ore raw materials using manganese limestone.

The study is based on a dynamic transport problem with delays (DTPD), which considers time of transportation of goods, the dynamics of production volumes over time, the dynamics of consumption, the dynamics of stocks of suppliers and consumers, dynamics of cost of transportation and storage, dynamics of cost of consumption losses. The study contains several mono-problems with a mono load, which overlap each other, forming a multiplicative overlay of single-product problems.

The problem of quantitative analysis of safety of microelectronic and microprocessor systems of railway automation and telemechanics is considered. The problem remains relevant, since the subject of safety analysis is rarely occurring, but extremely dangerous events. The risk and significance of failure are selected as the main safety features of these systems. The way to identify a failure was chosen according to MILSTD‑1629A standard, as the most adequate.

Calculated expressions for significance of a failure are proposed. The probability of a dangerous failure is calculated by the method of model analysis. It is proposed to calculate the probability of a failure further developing into an accident using scenario analysis methods by constructing event trees. Calculated ratios for ratings of violations are suggested, allowing to compare dangerous failures and emergency sequences developed from a failure. The risk assessment of operation of railway automation systems was selected not related to economic categories, and thus convenient for rationing. It is based on probabilistic concepts of the nature of risk and is calculated using the methods of probability theory. The developed design ratios and models make it possible to analyze performance of the functions of train traffic safety systems by methods common to control systems, at the same time reflecting the features of operation of railway automation.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also known as drones, are gaining more and more practical application in modern society, particularly as the tools of implementation of the concepts of «smart city», «smart health care», «smart industries», Internet of Things, 3D mapping, digital transport. But currently it is impossible to use of UAV at certain objects, comprising objects of transport infrastructure (OTI), primarily, airports, because of existing restrictions due to security threats arising during the UAV flight.

The authors of the present work have set a goal to offer a solution that allows to start operating UAV at transport infrastructure facilities that are currently prohibited for UAV flights. To achieve the objective of the work, using analysis and synthesis, comparison and generalization, factors and conditions for safe use of UAV at OTI have been formulated, a method for increasing security of UAV flight has been developed, followed by the suggestion on the UAV route control system.

The proposed system makes it possible to safely use UAVs at OTI by restraining their flight area strictly to the designated corridor, which eliminates a threat of a collision of UAV with other vehicles operated at OTI, dangerous elements of OTI, as well as with people at the object.

The system does not need electric power feeding, which makes it possible to implement the system without creating an auxiliary power supply infrastructure.

The practical application of the proposed system and, as a consequence, implementation of a greater number of opportunities for the use of UAV, are capable to generate fundamentally new technological processes and structures at transport facilities, which is one of the directions for creating the next generation transport infrastructure based on IoT and artificial intelligence.

The construction of the Great Siberian Route is a heroic page of Russia. The article examines the main milestones of epoch-making construction. In 1837, there were no railways in Russia yet, and proposals for construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway had already begun to be heard. The government has discussed this issue on several occasions. The opinion of the Minister of Finance A. I. Vyshnegradsky is indicative: «The Siberian railway is needed, but the country has more important issues». The situation changed dramatically in 1892 with appointment of S. Yu. Witte as Minister of Finance. He found necessary funding, supervised the construction site and resettled people to Siberia. The article, illustrated by several photos of the time, shows the unprecedented scale of railway construction in difficult natural conditions and under tight deadlines.

The article is dedicated to Evgeny Oskarovich Paton, an outstanding Soviet scientist with brilliant engineering talent. It was he who created a unique school of bridge building. The most famous creation of Evgeny Oskarovich bears his name – the famous Paton Bridge in Kiev.

E. O. Paton is the author of more than 300 scienti fic papers and several theoretical courses on bridge building and welding: «Calculation of end-to-end trusses with rigid joints», «Iron bridges» in 4 volumes, «Wooden railway bridges», «Automatic bare electrode welding under a layer of flux», fundamental textbook «Course of bridges» in 5 volumes and others. Organizer and editor-in-chief of the journal «Automatic welding» (1949–1953). Many of his textbooks are still being used in the study process.

The beginning of Evgeny Paton’s professional, research and teaching career was directly related to transport and railways, teaching at the then MIIT, where the future great scientist headed the department «Bridges and Tunnels» (founded in 1896). It was there that Evgeny Oskarovich worked until 1904. Paton’s laboratory has survived to this day and even continues to be used in teaching, and documents and photographs related to the scientist are carefully kept in the university museum.

110 years ago, the professional railway community conducted sharp discussion on the ratio of commercial and state interests in domestic railway activity. There were attempts to use that criterion to classify the existed railways by directions and main business purposes. The discussion also referred to the aspects of monopolism and competition, strict government control over the costs of rail construction, distribution of dividends or their investment in future development, fair tariffs. The problem of, in modern terms, connectivity of territory touched upon the choice between enhancing transit capacity of main railroads and constructing of new less important railways in the regions where they have not been built yet. Quite particular topic referred to the need to pay more attention to training of economic skills of employees as to condition of successful commercial activity of railways. It concerned training of technical employees in railway vocational schools, and of the future executives in higher schools, provided that «in the nurseries of railway engineers who provide a contingent of heads of railways, students are given complete economic preparation for their future activities».

The peer-reviewed explanatory dictionary is the first attempt to publish a dictionary-reference, which includes terms used in design, manufacture and operation of maglev transport systems. In this case, the actual terms are accompanied by definitions and explanations. The explanatory dictionary is structured into 16 thematic sections and includes a total of 513 terms and definitions. Each section is dedicated to a specific subject area of maglev transport systems: from the physics of magnetic levitation to operation and maintenance. The publication is addressed to specialists of transport, industrial and scientific organizations who are interested in development of maglev.