This article discusses an aspect of the most pressing problem of 2020, that of the spread of infectious diseases. The work considers a railway compartment coach as a particular object of spread of infectious diseases. The objective is to describe spread of the epidemic in a railway coach using a stochastic model. The model of the coach is represented as a network. The processes occurring on the network are considered to be Markov processes. In this paper, two methods of stochastic modelling are applied: modelling based on Kolmogorov equations and Gillespie algorithm. Kolmogorov equations are used to test applicability of Gillespie algorithm, which, in turn, is used to simulate the model of the coach. The obtained data were analysed, and based on that analysis it is possible to make a conclusion about applicability of the model to the case of a typical passenger train.

The authors set the goals: to assess the socio-economic importance of construction of intermodal transport infrastructure in the Russian Federation in modern conditions, to analyse the degree of development of issues of assessing the economic efficiency of intermodal aspects. To achieve these objectives, the content of modern strategic documents (such as the Comprehensive Plan for Modernization and Expansion o f Trunk Infrastructure, the Long-term Development Program of JSC Russian Railways until 2025, the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation, etc.), as well as the dynamics of container traffic volumes and results in construction of new and modernization of existing intermodal transport infrastructure were analysed. Based on this, a conclusion was made about relevance, importance, and prospects of development of intermodal transport infrastructure for both passenger and freight transportation.

The degree of elaboration of issues of assessing the economic efficiency of intermodal aspects is analysed, while the historical retrospective of evolution of methods for its assessment within the framework of state or sectoral methodological guidelines adopted in the former USSR and the Russian Federation is considered. When analysing approaches to assessing economic efficiency inherent in a planned economic model, several effects from improvements associated with the development of transport infrastructure and organisation of operation are described. Against this background, the authors reveal the difference between former and new approaches, characteristic of the modern market economy.

Through analysis and synthesis, conclusions were drawn for each part of the study. In the final part, using a dialectical approach, the results obtained are compared. Based on this, conclusions were made on the correlation between the importance of building an intermodal transport infrastructure, the degree of development of issues of assessing the economic efficiency of intermodal aspects and the prospects for development of this research area.

The relevance of the article is determined by the increasing role of the Arctic transport system in the economy of the Russian Federation: involvement of territories of the Arctic zone of the country in economic activities, an increase in their social and economic potential. The development of the northern territories is directly related to existing and future capabilities of the Arctic transport system, for successful functioning of which it is necessary to provide it with feeder transport network.

The objective of the work is to determine the scenarios according to which development of these feeder roads can be carried out. When writing the article, the methods of systemic, comparative, and statistical analysis were particularly used.

The paper clarifies the definition of the Arctic transport system. It is noted that scenarios for development of feeder routes to it should be linked to its general development, as well as to the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The European and Ural Arctic subregion is highlighted, where development of feeder routes is most important in connection with the growth of economic activity on Yamal Peninsula. With reference to the works of domestic and foreign authors, strategic planning documents of the Russian Federation, it is assumed that according to the degree of achievement of target indicators of traffic volumes along the Northern Sea Route, optimistic and pessimistic scenarios for formation of feeder network can be activated. The final implementation of one of those scenarios is determined by political, natural, and other risks.

When developing scenarios for formation of transport feeder network to the Arctic transport system, the emergence of new modes of transport should be considered. New modes of transport can provide linking of remote objects to the trunk transport networks or eliminate the gaps emerging in them.

The use of new modes of transport in the Russian Arctic should be carried out only after testing at specialized test sites, where their safety for transportation of passengers and goods, as well as for the environment, will be determined.

The work was carried out within the framework of the comprehensive program of fundamental scientific research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for 2018–2020 and is associated with the need to increase the capacity of the main ports of the European and Ural Arctic and the volume of traffic along the Northern Sea Route.

The objective of this article is to consider the use of predictive mathematical models for assessing risks associated with a critical loss of values of functional quality of bearing structural elements (foundations) of bridge structures using methods of probabilistic analysis and forecasting the risks of reducing of values of indicators of the technical state of structural elements.

The research results in development of an algorithm and a mathematical model that characterise the features of the process of reducing of values of indicators of the technical condition of load-bearing structures during the service life cycle. The results of assessing the loss of functional quality of foundations obtained using this model are presented.

The practical significance of the study relates to the possibility and expediency of using probabilistic methods for predictive assessment of the technical state of loadbearing structures. With the help of an appropriate mathematical model, it becomes possible to proceed with design rationale of indicators of functional quality of foundations of bridge structures.

The need to improve regulatory provisions for design and forecasting of indicators of the technical condition of transport infrastructure objects is substantiated.

The objective of the article is to describe application of computer vision and artificial intelligence technologies for solving the problems of road infrastructure design.

The article evaluates the traditional methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis of traffic flows in terms of labour intensity and accuracy using the method of comparative analysis, the advantages and disadvantages of the considered methods are indicated. A new method of traffic flow analysis using unmanned aerial vehicles and computer vision technology based on convolutional neural networks is proposed. The considered method makes it possible to fully automate collection and analysis of data on traffic flows. The article describes the first application of the proposed method when performing transport and economic surveys within the framework of the design of «Northern bypass of the city of Perm». The advantages of the applied method in relation to the traditional ones are described. To implement this project, software was developed for analysing traffic flows using video materials.

Further, traffic monitoring is considered, its goals and objectives are described, the necessary functionality of the road traffic monitoring automation system is indicated, the traffic parameters that it should determine are listed. The methodology for implementation of an automated traffic monitoring system based on video materials on a section of the road is considered.

A presented project of a traffic monitoring system makes it possible to extend the previously considered approach to the entire road network. Technologies are described that make it possible to implement this system based on video analytics of materials from CCTV cameras. A method for vehicle re-identification is proposed, and the implementation of this method is demonstrated. The method allows building a correspondence matrix of vehicles recorded by CCTV cameras located on different segments of the road network, as well as determining all traffic parameters for the entire street and road network.

The conclusions outline the prospects for development of the developed software in terms of application in intelligent transport systems.

The article describes a new method for conducting a ground penetrating radar survey of slope zones of soil objects of transport infrastructure. In the lithological section of these objects, there are sub-horizontal and inclined soil boundaries, as well as slope zones. Traditional survey methods (drilling, pitting), as well as the standard GPR method, make it possible to reliably survey at these objects, as a rule, only the zones under the horizontal main ground of the subgrade and sub-horizontal sections of the ground outside its boundaries. Survey under inclined surfaces is often difficult or technically impossible; geophysical methods, just like traditional ones, provide initial information that is exceedingly difficult for further decoding. The sections are filled with re-reflections and noises, and the process of decoding them is associated with great methodological problems.

This paper presents a new method for determining speed of propagation of radio waves in the slope zones of the foundation. The initial information is the data obtained during the survey using the common depth point (CDP) method, using a well-known survey technique and a standard set of hardware. The novelty of the article results is determined by the algorithm for processing the measurement results developed by the authors. The software implementation made on its basis makes it possible to obtain the hodograph equation considering the slope of the layers. Defining geometric characteristics of embankments associated with the presence of slopes of variable steepness have been considered. A technique for calculating propagation speed of radio waves for a two-layer medium with a boundary inclined to the scanning surface has been proposed. The validity of the developed method was verified using finite-difference time-domain modelling.

The article provides examples of practical application of the developed method in the GPR survey of real track foundation objects (transport infrastructure objects). The method proposed in the article makes it possible to increase the informative area of the surveyed diameters. At the same time, the accuracy of the GPR method is preserved, the area of its application for obtaining reliable information is increased to 60 % of the cross-sectional area of the foundation.

The development of stationary energy seems to be an important aspect of introduction of energy-saving technologies in transportation sector. In Russia, it is conditioned by the main provisions of the Energy Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2030. In this regard, the problem of efficient use of low-grade heat based on the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) in stationary heat energy supply units in the transport industry is urgent. In particular, this task is typical for boiler houses converted from heavy fuel oil to gas fuel. In this case, the efficiency of ORC application will primarily be determined by the efficiency of the used heat exchangers (HE) with a phase transition, as a result of which, both technically and theoretically, the problem of designing and calculating the optimal characteristics of these HE will be of great interest.

The article presents a theoretical and computational model of heat transfer during phase transitions in turbulent flows based on the relations obtained by the stochastic theory of hydrodynamics and heat transfer. The modelling of the effect of turbulence during the phase transition with undeveloped boiling of the bubble mode is considered. The comparison results show satisfactory conformity of the values obtained according to the formula based on stochastic equations with the values calculated according to the empirical formula for the flow in a pipe, used in the engineering method of designing heat exchangers. The results obtained open the prospect for studying the processes of heat transfer during phase transitions in turbulent flows of HE to reduce their overall and mass characteristics, as well as to increase the energy efficiency of both the devices themselves and the efficiency of the entire energy complex.

The features of monitoring systems for railway infrastructure and rolling stock are considered. The main approaches to organisation of monitoring of railway infrastructure and rolling stock objects are described, their advantages and disadvantages are noted. The main objective of this work is to present to the reader a conceptual vision of a system for monitoring devices and systems for ensuring train traffic safety, using technologies for transmitting diagnostic information over a radio channel. The methods of the theory of technical diagnostics and monitoring were used. Attention is focused on the use of wireless data transmission technologies and the use of autonomous industrial automation sensors for monitoring systems for railway automation devices.

The architecture of the monitoring system is presented. The description of the system itself and the monitoring technology is given, the main advantages of the presented approach are noted, which, first, are linked to reduction of the volume of design work and of energy consumption of the system as a whole. The disadvantages are associated with the need to replace autonomous power supply sources, ensure security of the data transmission network, to proceed with periodic verification and calibration of measuring instruments. The basic diagrams of connecting sensors for measuring physical quantities to the circuit units of railway automation are presented. A list of parameters necessary for high-quality and effective monitoring of railway automation devices is given. The need is noted for both the control of mechanical and geometric parameters of devices and the accounting of data from interconnected objects of railway infrastructure and rolling stock. The proposed approach can find its application in the field of railway automation and, first of all, at those facilities that are located in premises with limited area (e.g. at subway facilities).

In the world and domestic practices of technical maintenance and repair (TMR) of locomotives there exists a tendency for the expanded use of technical diagnostics systems, the transition to predictive repair to reduce the costs of their life cycle. Modern hardware and software tools make it possible to create automated technical diagnostics systems (ATDS) for all types of locomotive equipment but equipping service repair locomotive depots with them requires significant capital costs with an unacceptably long payback period. The objective of the work is to develop a method and a corresponding simulation modelling software program to determine technical and economic feasibility of using certain means of technical diagnostics.

Diagnostic systems reduce waiting time for repairs, the volume and cost of scheduled and unscheduled TMR, which makes it possible to reduce the operating fleet of locomotives.

In modern economic calculations, to assess the success of an investment project, the indicator «Net present value (NPV)» of the project is used. Based on this principle, in relation to ATDS, a method for determining feasibility of introducing various types of ATDS and the corresponding methodology and software made with the algorithmic language VBA (Visual BASIC for Applications) in the MS Excel environment has been developed.

The work carried out simulation modelling for Russian conditions of the payback of main types of diagnostic systems comprising on-board based microprocessor control systems, rheostat testing stations for diesel locomotives, diagnostics of traction motors, etc. The economic feasibility of introducing these systems has been proved. Also, economically inexpedient diagnostic systems have been identified, f o r example, automatic measurement of the profile of a wheel set tire.

The object of research is the transportation process. The subject of research is dependence of influence of the distance of transportation of goods on the cost of transportation of goods. Since no studied literary sources have revealed reliable dependences of influence of the distance of transportation on the cost of transportation of goods in specific conditions for a single enterprise, the research task considered in the article seems to be relevant.

The objective of this article is so to study the impact of distance of transportation of construction goods by dump trucks of Volgograd motor transport enterprise on operating costs. The solution to the problem is considered at the example of transportation of bulk cargo by MAN and Mercedes-Benz dump trucks with equal mileage. Several empirical research methods were used: observation (by means of purposeful perception of an object determined by the task of activity), comparison (by establishing similarity and difference between objects and phenomena of reality), measurement (by means of actions performed using measuring instruments to find the numerical value of the measured quantity in the adopted measurement units). To calculate the cost of transportation, the methodology for determining costs for transporting goods by road transport is used. To obtain experimental data, an analysis of the work of fleet of a motor transport enterprise is carried out using waybills with confirmed data. The process of obtaining actual data is carried out by means of calculations according to the given formulas. The research tool is calculation of the cost of transportation of goods according to the data obtained as a result of activities of the enterprise.

Regression dependences of influence of the distance of transportation of goods on the cost of operation of dump trucks with different carrying capacity were obtained to determine the type of the regression equation, construct estimates of unknown parameters included in the regression equation, and test statistical hypotheses about regression. The verification of the adequacy of obtained models was performed by calculating the correlation coefficient to establish the presence of a connection between random variables.

The article analyses the dynamics of development of the Russian market of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, investigates the strategy and competitive advantages of Sollers group of companies, which is successfully operating despite volatility of development of the Russian car market, as well as the need for a radical renewal of the model range of the company’s cars, the presence of excess production capacity and the departure from Russia of three foreign partners of Sollers group of companies in joint ventures: Fiat, SsangYong and Ford. Particular attention in the article is paid to Ford, a joint venture partner with Sollers PJSC, which left the Russian domestic market in 2019. This event, which had a negative impact on partners and clients of the company, was caused by several

circumstances. Besides, the article identifies the main directions of development of joint ventures Mazda Sollers and Ford Sollers (in terms of Ford Transit minibus, the only locally manufactured Ford model) and the possibility of expanding their export potential, including due to export of engines, spare parts and components.

The article pays close attention to introduction of new technologies in Sollers PJSC and other companies, development of digitalisation in development and production of new models, creation of its own telematics platform that allows to connect a car to the Internet and control it remotely, including starting the engine.

The author examines in detail a new consumption model in the car market associated with refusal of buyers to own a car and with emerging choice of new services regarding subscription and exchange of cars, their development in foreign and domestic markets, as well as offers the analysis of successes and failures of foreign automakers in providing subscription services.

The main purpose of the article is to study the strategy of Sollers PJSC in the domestic and foreign markets, auxiliary purposes refer to the analysis of the domestic market, change in the consumption model and provision of new services, study of reasons for departure of foreign partners of the company.

The article is devoted to consideration of foreign instruments for performance audit in the transport sector and to assessment of possibility of applying the methods and procedures of performance audit by Russian regional control and accounting bodies. The objective of the study is to comprehensively analyse the international experience of regulation and organisation of performance audit in the transport sector based on the practices of the Auditor General of Scotland (Great Britain) and the Auditor General of Manitoba (Canada).

Considering the traditionally high share of regional budget expenditures spent on development of the transport system, it is noted that assessment of the economy, productivity and efficiency of the use of public resources is important not only for regional authorities, but also for the population and business entities.

Based on the analysis of the best practices of regional government audit bodies of Great Britain and Canada in terms of performance audits in the transport sector, advanced methods and audit procedures were recorded that can be applied by Russian regional control and accounting bodies. In particular, the specifics and accuracy of recommendations to the executive authorities presented in the audit report; procedure of assessing correctness of tender procedures and effectiveness of contract execution as part of the performance audit; wide use of external experts during inspections and other features have been noted.

The article examines business models for mixedmode (combined) passenger transportation and development of combined passenger transportation as a factor in the growth of capacity of the railway passenger transportation market. The crisis in the transport services market, caused by non-economic factors (COVID‑19 pandemic), is characterized by a classic combination of supply shocks and demand shocks for passenger transportation, which increases relevance of the problem of searching ways to rise the volume of passenger traffic, in particular, by rail, demand for services provided to the public using railway assets.

The current approach to increasing the demand for railway passenger transportation by developing the railway route network, improving the equipment of railway stations and the quality of service, expanding the range of services offered, promoting everything that encourages the consumption of services by a larger number of customers, will remain important. Nevertheless, this approach should be critically considered and supplemented in the light of new economic trends motivated by digital technology. That is especially important today, when, in conditions of resource constraints, a strategic organisational solution is needed aimed at scaling a business, achieving an optimal «balance» of costs, quality, competencies, flexibility and customer focus.

The organisation of combined passenger transportation involves active «horizontal» interaction of various transport organisations, both among themselves and with different cohorts of passengers with their own consumer preferences and income restrictions. Therefore, the transition from linear business processes built «vertically» to horizontal business processes that offer specialised packages of services through a «single window» system according to uniform standards based on digital technologies is relevant.

The article proposes models for organising network interaction of participants in the passenger transportation market based on digital technologies to ensure «seamless» mobility of the population with the consolidating role of railway transport. Specific models for organising combined railway transportation should be based on a specific business model, the choice of which is determined by a strategic decision of the company.

The objective of the article is to develop and to substantiate adequacy of the proposed indicator for assessing availability of rolling stock for urban mass transit or urban passenger transport (UPT). As such an indicator, it is recommended to use a calculated indicator: a conventional one-hundred-seat vehicle. The currently used indicators characterising provision of UPT with vehicles, consider only the physical number of the latter. This does not provide an assessment of carrying capacity of UPT, considering the existing operating conditions (real operating speeds on the routes of UPT, the existing level of the coefficient of the fleet being used on the routes as compared to the total number of fleet units, etc.). The proposed indicator of availability of the rolling stock considers not only the natural number of vehicles, but also their passenger capacity, the indicated significant technical and operational indicators of the vehicle fleet. The basis for assessing the carrying capacity of the rolling stock fleet is a conventional one-hundred-seat bus, which performs transportation on routes with an average operating speed. For real buses, this basic unit is adjusted in accordance with real travel speeds and the prevailing values of technical and operational indicators. A similar adjustment is performed for real trolleybuses and tram cars, which makes it possible to level the operational differences in the rolling stock of various types of UPT to compare them in terms of carrying capacity.

The methodology used in preparation of the article is based on the integrated use of scientific knowledge in the fields of applied science on operation of transport, statistics (statistical observation and accounting of the work of UPT), a comparative analysis of indicators used in various industries, in particular, in agriculture to assess the level of provision with the main production vehicles (conventional tractor), benchmarking research and development of Russian and foreign authors on the problem of improving operation of UPT.

The indicator is intended for use in development and assessment of the level of implementation of programs for development of UPT and the urban environment, analysis of the quality of transport planning and services provided to passengers, comparisons of provision with vehicles in different cities.

The objective of this article is to analyse labour discipline of production personnel when performing vehicle maintenance works. Currently, many car service enterprises practically do not control the quality of the work of the employees. These responsibilities are assigned to the lower management level – foremen, however, they are either heavily loaded with work, or are not interested in performing control functions. In addition, labour intensity of technical maintenance and repair work is set by the manufacturer at the lowest possible level, assuming that the staff is highly qualified, and the company is provided with all the necessary special tools. As a result, it is difficult or impossible for employees to meet the standards, therefore, to fulfil the plan and not lose part of the wages, they miss or do not perform part of the work paid by the client. The studies were carried out in Perm at a typical car service enterprise, which is an official dealer of a domestic car brand.

The analysis of the work of the personnel was carried out by comparing the actual work performed following the technology defined by the manufacturer. For this, video recording of all the actions of an employee was carried out. The completeness of each operation was noted, as well as the time spent. Work efficiency was assessed using Spaghetti diagrams, which indicate all movements of the performers. A methodology is presented that allows to give a final assessment of the work of locksmiths, which consists in calculating penalty points for exceeding standard time, partial execution or omission of operations. A scale for evaluating performers has been developed. The results of studies of carrying out maintenance of two identical cars are presented. The shortcomings of the production personnel are discovered and analysed. To increase labour productivity, it is possible to use the principles of lean production of the 5 «S» system. It is necessary to equip the posts with tools, issue checklists to the performers and use the movement scheme at the maintenance post, equip posts with video surveillance cameras and periodically carry out selective control of work. To motivate staff, it is necessary to revise the system of bonuses and fines, considering the results of work.

To study the problems and opportunities for implementation of high-speed railway (HSR) projects, as well as to confirm the potential demand for highspeed transportation services, the authors studied public opinion regarding three of the potential HSR lines as well as the experience of foreign countries in implementation of projected passenger traffic, financing of construction of high-speed main lines and assessing their impact on the general economic growth of regions.

When conducting the study, the authors used the methods of a questionnaire sociological survey, analysis, comparison, induction.

The main results of the study have shown that in development and implementation of expensive highspeed rail projects, it is of particular importance to identify the demand of passengers for high-speed transportation, the general attitude and readiness of the population of countries to use such main lines. The article has studied the dynamics of demand for passenger transportation by branded and non-branded trains on key directions, which made it possible to identify several of them as the most promising for development of high-speed lines. The sociological research carried out by the authors, using the method of questioning in social networks, made it possible to reveal the attitude of the country’s residents towards the most potentially promising for high-speed rail projects directions: Moscow–St. Petersburg, Moscow– Kazan and Moscow–Rostov-on-Don. According to the results of the survey, Russians have a positive attitude to development of high-speed railways in the country, most of the respondents intend to use them when it is necessary to make interurban trips, especially on Moscow–St. Petersburg route.

The authors present the external economic effects and risks of development of high-speed railways in Russia. The effects comprise the growth of the population’s transport mobility. The potential risks of developing high-speed rail projects are associated with complexity of ensuring reliable operation of rolling stock and infrastructure of these main lines under difficult climatic conditions in Russia, as well as with high cost of travel for Russians, which negatively affects demand. To overcome the latter risk, it is important to form a positive image of projects by modelling public opinion.

Built in the late 19th century, the Central Andean Railway in Peru was created through attracting foreign capital and foreign engineering ideas. Large-scale plans for exploitation of the richest deposits of copper, silver and gold formed the basis for construction of this railway line. The engineering solutions used in this project impress specialists even today. In particular, the so-called zigzags, which made it possible to lay a route along the inaccessible mountain ranges of the Andes. As the main investor of the project, American entrepreneur Henry Meiggs, once once said that the train will arrive there where llama can get.

The chief engineer, author of the project, overseeing construction of the Central Railway, was Ernest Malinowski, a Polish specialist, honorary citizen of Peru.

«The project of engineer Ernest Malinowski provides for construction of a railway line at an altitude of almost 5000 meters above sea level , which is impossible. The implementation of the bridges and viaducts designed by him seems to be risky», – this is how his contemporaries evaluated the project of the Polish engineer.

The topic considered in the preceding article is continued by two publications first published in the journal 110 years ago. Both articles (they had been in turn reproduced and translated from French editions) are dedicated to engineering solutions that allowed construction of a railway in mountain region and that were unique for that time.

To the maximum extent possible the vocabulary of the period of publication has been kept intact.