In the context of globalisation of economic relationships, intensification of transportation and technological solutions, the methodology of research and development of transport infrastructure requires improvement and adaptation to dynamically changing conditions of the transportation market.
The objective of the work is to formalise and to develop a methodology for studying transport infrastructure, including specialised isothermal rolling stock. The initial data on cargo turnover were processed by the methods of mathematical statistics, and the technical parameters of innovative isothermal rolling stock were substantiated using the methods of T. Saaty analytic hierarchy process, expert assessment, and update engineering design process.
The article provides an analysis of the cargo turnover of perishable goods transported by railway refrigerated transport in Russia in terms of volumes, types of rolling stock, and origin. The main origin-destination cargo flows are presented by types of transportation (domestic, transit, export, import transport operations). It has been determined that key factors in development of isothermal rolling stock for transportation of perishable goods in the transport system of the country refer to transportation of meat, fish, beer, soft drinks, juices in the segment of domestic transportation. The analysis shows that there are no structural and quantitative shifts in terms of types of transportation and types of cargo.
The strategy for development of vehicles for transportation of perishable goods and the methodology are presented in a block diagram, in sections: «statement of the research problem», «decision-making stages», «decision implementation methods and algorithms». It is shown that the problem includes not only development of stationary railway infrastructure and of stages in development of isothermal rolling stock, but also the need to solve organisational, technical, technological, regulatory, and legal problems, as well as tariff regulation.
The issues of methodology for designing an innovative isothermal rolling stock are considered referring to possible prospects for its development and areas of operation, as well as to a set of engineering and technological solutions. The study of linear dimensions and useful section of the loading space of various types of isothermal bodies shows the advantage of wagons and swap bodies in comparison with large-capacity refrigerated containers.
It is proposed to design a prototype of innovative isothermal rolling stock on the basis of a universal isothermal swap body, configured with various types of refrigerating equipment with specified technical parameters that best meet the requirements of the modern transportation market. The areas of possible use of various types of isothermal rolling stock are analysed considering long-term forecasts for development of agricultural, fishing and processing industries.

Rubber materials are widely used in friction assemblies of railway rolling stock. Rubbers are used oil seals, other various seals, shock absorbers, corrugated hoses, sleeves, sealing rings, etc. During operation, rubbers are exposed to various mechanical influences that cause wear, cracks, abrasion, dents, burnthroughs, etc., which can lead to the failure of the entire unit and unforeseen unscheduled repairs of the rolling stock. Any failure on the route together with unplanned repairs incur heavy economic losses.
Currently, the issue of wear of rubbers in rubber-steel tribopairs has not been sufficiently studied in case of supply of lubricant to the friction zone and of wear caused by a free and fixed abrasive. There is ongoing research on the possibility of replacing rubber products with other polymeric materials, which have shown significantly better results in tribological tests, both in terms of friction coefficients and in the wear mechanism. The data obtained will make it possible to choose the most optimal options for materials that can act as a replacement for standard rubber products in rolling stock friction assemblies.
The paper presents the results of tribological tests of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polypropylene (PP2015) in comparison with rubber based on nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). The tests were carried out according to two schemes: «plane (tested sample) – bushing» and «plane (tested sample) – generatrix of a rubber disk with supply of abrasive grain to the friction zone». The objective of the work is to determine the dependence of the change in friction coefficients on load and sliding speed, as well as the dependence of seizure pressures of tribo-pairs on speed, weight loss of samples after wear tests with a free and fixed abrasive, the morphology of wear surfaces, and wear mechanisms of polymer materials and rubbers.

The article reviews the results of the authors’ research on the possibility of using the magnetic field strength generated by DC traction motors as a useful signal carrying information about weight of cargo transported by a mining dump truck.

The objective of the research was to find a way to determine weight of cargo carried by a mining dump truck. In contrast to the existing onboard weighing systems, it becomes possible to create a compact autonomous device that does not require integration of sensors into the body structure and electrical circuits of the truck.

Problems of increasing the efficiency of measuring devices based on fluxgate converters are considered with the view of using them as onboard systems for estimating cargo weight. The sensitivity of the fluxgate sensor can be increased by increasing both the amplitude and the effective value of the voltage applied to its excitation winding. The proposed original circuit for feeding the fluxgate sensor’s excitation winding from a modulated signal generator made on logical elements allows increasing the voltage supplied to the fluxgate sensor’s excitation winding without increasing the supply voltage, and by increasing voltage surges at the fronts of rectangular modulated high-frequency pulses, as well as due to resonant phenomena. The use of such a generator excludes the influence of the fluxgate sensor’s excitation winding on the generator frequency, since the frequency of modulating signals becomes the operating frequency of the fluxgate sensor, and it remains unchanged. The increased sensitivity makes it possible to install the sensor in any convenient place in the dump truck cab, and not in the immediate vicinity of traction motors.

Evaluation of cargo weight is carried out during movement of the dump truck along the control section of the road. The readings are taken from an ammeter (milliammeter), the scale of which is pre-calibrated in mass units. Measurements of mass should be carried out under the same modes of dump truck movement and with the same location of the fluxgate sensor as when calibrating the scale of the measuring device. The control section of the route on which the measurements are carried out must be the same or similar to the one on which the measuring device was calibrated.

The proposed device is distinguished by ease of use, is characterised by low energy consumption, is compact, does not contain expensive elements and does not require careful maintenance.

The objective of the article is to show the importance of modernisation and development of the transport and logistics system of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area (hereinafter – YNAA) for socio-economic development of the country, of its single economic space, and implementation of its export capacity.
The current state of the transport system of YNAA is analysed considering a particular role of transport system of the region in development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (hereinafter –the AZRF), while showing the inconsistency of the existing level of its development with the needs of the economy and the population of the area, the strategic goals of development of the Russian Arctic and the country. The research used general scientific methods, e.g., analysis and synthesis.
The implementation of several large infrastructure projects in YNAA being initiated at the federal level requires the corresponding development of the regional transport and logistics infrastructure and the solution of transport problems in this region. Modernisation and development of the regional transport and logistics infrastructure through implementation of infrastructure projects will allow: to form a single interconnected transport space with a significant reduction in infrastructure constraints for development of YNAA; to achieve the required level of population mobility and transport accessibility of municipalities for all categories of population; to combine the mainland and port infrastructure within a single logistics system through implementation of federal infrastructure projects in parallel with measures to develop the existing regional transport infrastructure; to integrate the transport complex of YNAA as part of the transport system of the Russian Federation into the world transport system.
The development of an effective regional transport and logistics system within the framework of the corresponding federal system, considering the geostrategic features and geo-economic potential of the region, will remove infrastructural constraints for development of the national economy and the region’s economy.

The research relates to the field of automation of technological preparation of production in transport equipment manufacturing sector and proposes the concept of choosing the optimal design model for a complex of technical means within a control system in automated production. The factors characterising the dynamics of the processes have been studied, and the corresponding mathematical models have been drawn up, considering the cost characteristics and the economic feasibility of adopting integrated
technical means.
The main objective of this work is to propose consideration of all parameters that have weight, including the dynamics of technical and economic processes. It is shown that cost characteristics are direct indicators of economic efficiency of the implemented complex of technical means.
Methodically, this work was carried out based on economic and mathematical analysis of adoption of a complex of technical means at a transport equipment manufacturing enterprise considering approaches previously suggested by researchers.
Thus, for the most accurate determination of the final cost of a certain product option, it is necessary to consider all factors of design decisions. Based on these data, a model of cost characteristics of products is built, analysing which it is possible to select the optimal product design, optimal assemblies and units with specific components and specific quality indicators. This allows obtaining the optimal technological version of the design solution during manufacturing.
A method of searching for an optimal production cycle when introducing an automated production system is proposed. It is proposed to consider the losses associated with temporary freezing of funds, including the need to perform a convolution of optimization criteria. To formalise the process of making optimal decisions, it is also proposed to harmonise the products and market needs.
Besides, the search methodology should include the search for an optimal group of employees responsible for implementation of specific and narrowly focused tasks, which makes it possible to improve the quality indicators of automated production with an adopted complex of technical means (CTM).
To minimise the time spent on entire commissioning of a product from the development stage to receipt of the finished product, it is required to speed up the development work. This can be done by increasing production capacity, as well as by reducing the time of partial cycles of the structure’s existence.
Even though the model is becoming excessively redundant, we suppose that introduction of additional elements is necessary to consider all the nuances that help choosing the best solution regarding optimisation issues, which will allow determining of the full economic efficiency of the complex.

The advantages and disadvantages of existing tools for calculating passenger flow are shown using the example of the city of Moscow.
The objective of the research was to assess possibilities of using Wi-Fi data as a tool for analysing passenger flow. The authors used two types of Wi-Fi scanners and a tool they developed to analyse the collected data. The primary results of the study demonstrate the possibility of practical application of Wi-Fi data to analyse passenger flow.
The described empirical studies, particularly data received from the portable Wi-Fi scanner, have shown that more than 20% of mobile devices in urban public transport and metro are used with Wi-Fi enabled, which is clearly not enough to get results necessary for comprehensive and detailed analysis of passenger flows. Nevertheless, the accumulating data allow to get possibility to forecast general passenger flow.
A portable Wi-Fi scanner does not provide an opportunity to extensively capture a large area of the surveyed territory in real time (stops of urban public transport, locations where passengers enter the metro, etc.). Stationary Wi-Fi scanners could increase the amount of data and, accordingly, significantly adjust the results obtained. This enhancement could also be achieved through expansion of adoption of the tool of studying passenger flow to urban railways, i.e., in case of Moscow, to Moscow Central Circle and Moscow Central Diameters, as those routes provide Wi-Fi access at stations and in coaches.
Data collected from Wi-Fi scanners can be an additional tool to other data sources, such as validation, automatic systems of passenger flow monitoring, and data obtained from cellular operators. For this reason, the further research in the field of Wi-Fi analytics along with development of technology in the field of existing data sources of passenger flow monitoring may result in better calculation of passenger flow.

The study considered the role of passenger road transport as one of the most important sectors of the national economy, which influences the entire economy of a country and its regions, as well as the quality of life of the population.
The analysis of the transport system in the city of Khujand, which is mainly dominated by road transport, has been carried out based on the results of the conducted survey on passenger flows on bus routes of the city, particularly, regarding origin-destination matrix, fare collectability.
The conclusions argue in favour of practicability of conducting regular systematic monitoring of passenger flows to optimize suggestions in the field of urban public transport development. In fundamental terms, main problems of passenger transportation management were identified including lack of a regular timetable on certain routes, non-compliance with the traffic schedule, resulting in an increase in travel time, changes in routing due to the absence of sufficient number of passengers, systematic violations of traffic rules, excessively long stops at the hub stopping points, etc. The suggestions comprise approaches intended to reduce influence of organisational and managerial factors on efficiency of passenger transportation, on the correct choice of rolling stock, that should be selected considering design features, possibility of serving all segments of the population (categories of passengers), traffic intensity, manoeuvrability, compliance with road conditions, etc. Conclusions were also made regarding techniques to justify the volume of passenger transportation, to identify average distance of passenger’s trip, to calculate technical, operational, and quality indicators of operation of public transport, distribution of passengers per routes.
The analysis of the structure of passenger flows since it influences the indicators of the effectiveness of passenger transportation, plays the most significant role in the framework of development of new approaches to the solution of transport issues in the city of Khujand.
Implementation of full-scale monitoring of passenger flows will make it possible to develop appropriate timetables facilitating movement of passenger flows on routes, to select a rational type of rolling stock in terms of capacity, will contribute to time-saving passenger travelling, socialisation of transport tariffs, and improved quality of transportation.

The formulation of classical minimax transport-type problems involves the search for an optimal transportation plan considering only time of delivery of resources. The inevitable additional costs of processing resources at the origin and destination are usually not considered. This approach is fully justified given incommensurability of delivery times of resources along available routes and times of preliminary/subsequent processing of resources. At the same time, in a number of practical problems, the time spent on loading/unloading (for example, when organizing loading of packaged mineral fertilizers from port warehouses onto ships) can be of significant importance. In such cases, when searching for an optimal transportation plan, it is necessary to take into account not only travel times of vehicles used along the set routes, but also the costs of loading and unloading operations, considering the number of available vehicles and their characteristics, for example, payload.
In this regard, the objective of the study is not only to develop a method for calculating the optimal transportation plan, but also a method for distributing vehicles, considering their number and features.
At the same time, another no less important objective of the study is to substantiate the application of the method of successive reduction of residuals, considering the form of the objective function, which considers not only the main parameters of classical minimax transport-type problems, but also the quantitative characteristics of vehicles involved in the transport operation. It is fundamentally important that the use of the method of successive reduction of residuals determines the polynomial computational complexity of the algorithm, which makes it possible to use it in the operational solution of problems of practical dimension.
To solve the problem of distributing available vehicles according to the origin points, considering payload of vehicles, it is proposed to use the method of dynamic programming. An illustrative example of distribution of delivery vehicles, adapted for the use in MS Excel, is considered.

The use of regenerative braking by electric rolling stock on DC railways makes it possible to increase the energy efficiency of the transportation process. The effective use of regenerative braking is associated with creation of conditions for receiving energy obtained through it. For these purposes, rectifier-inverter converters and energy absorbing devices are currently used in the traction power supply system.
A promising technology that provides an increase in theefficiency of the use of regenerative braking is energy storage, which allows this energy to be used in the future to cover the traction load curve. A feature of the use of regenerative braking on singletrack sections of DC railways with low traffic intensity is the need to use converters or energy absorbing devices. One of the options for increasing the efficiency of recuperation energy use is the adoption of energy storage systems for the own needs of traction substations. The use of this technical solution is advisable on single-track sections with intensive use of regenerative braking, the effectiveness of which is explained through a decrease in power consumption for own needs of the substation from the external grid.
The international research allows us to identify the widespread trend towards the application of electricity storage technology in various fields: from renewable energy sources to electric power systems, including transport power supply systems. International practices demonstrate successful implementation of pilot projects of adoption of energy storage systems for solving problems of increasing the efficiency of electric urban and suburban transport, as well as of metro systems.
The objective of the work is to assess the energy performance of energy storage systems when using recovered energy for own needs of a traction substation. The study is based on the methods of mathematical and simulation modelling, optimisation, and mathematical statistics.
The discussed issues refer to the use of energy storage systems to provide power supply for own needs of DC traction substations. Main issues of operation of storage systems are considered with the help of a substation case study. The features of the recuperation load curve are described to explain the use of hybrid technologies for developing a storage system. The example of the considered traction substation helps to demonstrate the solution to the problem of determining main parameters of the storage system, considering the specifics of operation of electrochemical and electrical modules.

A universal problem of the impact of behaviour of less experienced young drivers on the rate of road accidents referring to the Russian Federation in comparison to other countries.
In the Russian Federation, in recent years, there has been a decrease in the total number of road accidents and in the number of deaths in them. This speaks of the effective preventive work of the traffic police and other related services, but at the same time, a fairly large number of car accidents persists.
One problem is the high incidence of accidents among inexperienced young drivers. According to research conducted in different countries, the likelihood of road accidents is especially high during the first year after obtaining a driver’s license. The overwhelming majority of drivers responsible for road accidents with less than six months of driving experience belong to the age category of 18–25 years. One of the main reasons for the increased likelihood of road accidents is their excessive risk inclination.
It is obvious that risky driving is common in young people, which also affects the operation of the car. Risk inclination is directly related to the number of errors made, which significantly increases the likelihood of an accident.
Objective of the work was to assess the risk tolerance among drivers aged 18–25 years. Research methods comprise a survey of young people of the indicated age and the analysis of the results obtained. The figures obtained during the survey indicate that the majority of respondents (82 %) have a «mean level of risk tolerance». But there are also quite a few «risky drivers» (15 %). Moreover, these 15 % are in the youngest age group from 18 to 21 years old. Based on the results of the work, it is proposed: during training at a driving school, the future driver should receive not only theoretical knowledge and practical driving lessons, but also undergo a psychological analysis to determine his fitness to participate in road traffic; introduce certain restrictions «for young and novice drivers» into the Road Traffic Regulations. It is necessary to limit the permitted power of the car and the permissible speed (adoption of a multiplying coefficient for fines for speeding), prohibit the use of the car in the dark and in difficult road conditions, as well as passenger transportation.

The article is dedicated to the 125^th anniversary of the founding of Russian University of Transport (MIIT), the largest transport university in the country. Over the years of its existence, the University has gone from an engineering school to a national-wide transport university, a leading center for science and education.
The history of the University is examined through the prism of formation and development of schools of sciences. The University established world-known schools of sciences of structural mechanics and bridge construction, hydraulic theory of friction, bridge construction and welding, structural mechanics, design and operation of railways, design and thermal calculations of steam locomotives, etc.
Over the years, the University has trained many tens of thousands of highly qualified specialists for the transport industry of the country. Loyalty to traditions, the ability to respond to demands of the time and work for the future allow Russian University of Transport to remain in the ranks of the leading universities in Russia.

In 2021, Russian University of Transport (previously known as MIIT, Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers) turns 125 years old.
The Department of Higher Mathematics has existed since the inception of the university and has a rich history.
This significant date provides an opportunity to the authors to refer to some of the most important moments in the history of this Russian higher educational institution, as well as to recall the names of some scientists, mathematicians, university professors, whose activities undoubtedly influenced both the level of training of domestic railway engineers, and the high status of the educational institution itself.
It is also an opportunity to highlight the continuity of the values of mathematical knowledge for the past and future generations of students in transport and transportation fields.

In 2024, the Russian Academy of Sciences will celebrate its three hundredth anniversary. In this regard, there is a relevant need to comprehend the contribution of Soviet scientists to reconstruction of the country’s economy after the Great Patriotic War. In 2021, Russian University of Transport where Academician V. N. Obraztsov once worked, celebrates the 125^th anniversary. The scientific conceptualisation of the ways to develop the North of the country is of great importance for the development of the transport system of Russia. Hence, those factors determine the topicality of the objective of the article to study the projects for development of transport in the European North of the USSR put forward by Academician V. N. Obraztsov in the post-war period.
To attain this objective, the system-structural and historicalcomparative methods were used. For the first time the activity of V. N. Obraztsov, as of an analyst and expert in the field of development of post-war railway transport, is analysed. It is concluded that having the talent of a major leader of transport projects, Obraztsov put forward research tasks adequate to the requirements of the time for reconstruction of the country’s economy after the war. Among these tasks, he considered modernisation and development of transport. In the projects of 1945, Obraztsov laid the foundations for long-term planning of railway, road, river, and air transport in the European North of the USSR for several decades ahead. The volume of the proposed construction was enormous. Even though the planned large-scale design of the transport infrastructure was not entirely feasible for implementation in a short time due to limited forces and resources of the country, it catches imagination with farreaching prospects for development of the European North and the Arctic. Academician Obraztsov’s programs for development of the north, being of great scientific value, are especially relevant in 21^st century.

 News from the archives
The article in Rail Business [Zheleznodorozhnoe Delo] published 110 years ago, in 1911, analysed in detail the organisation, in modern terms, of professional training and high vocational education of railway employees. Besides, it contains the opinion on curriculum, range of taught disciplines, qualifications, competences, and skills. 

 Zemlin, A. I., Klenov, M. V., Kholikov, I. V. Organisational and legal problems of preventing the importation and spread of mass infectious diseases in transport industry (the example of COVID-19 coronavirus infection pandemic): Monograph [Organizatsionno-pravovie problemy preduprezhdeniya zavoza i rasprostraneniya massovykh infektsionnykh zabolevanii na transporte na primere pandemii koronavirusnoi infektsii COVID-19): Monografiya]. Moscow, Ru-Science publ., 2020, 126 p. ISBN 978-5-4365-6573-6.