A Study of Wagon Turnaround in the Current Context

Abstract

Wagon turnaround remains the key performance indicator of railway transport operations characterizing the efficiency both of a wagon fleet owner and of “Russian Railways” Company (RZD). Freight logistics efficiency in the railway sector can also be assessed using this indicator. For determining the wagon turnaround time, the duration of operations at technical stations, freight handling time and the time in motion are taken into account. “Russian Railways” company and operator companies control the three components of the wagon turnaround time. The synergies of railways, intermodal types of transport, and private railways belonging to major freight owners are of particular interest. Their interaction efficiency can be calculated using the wagon turnaround formula that considers the freight idle time and the local operations factor. The local operations at the station for serving private tracks and port sidings are regulated by a number of documents that determine the procedure for supply and departure of wagons, the number of wagons in supply, the regularity of these operations, the number and series of shunting locomotives, etc. The optimal number of wagons in supply will be determined by the minimum cost of wagon movement and wagon idle time on the station tracks. The calculation of the cost function sensitivity will make it possible to determine the limits in the optimal wagon movement changes.