Sources To Improve Efficiency Of Liquefied Gases Delivery By Rail

Abstract

Rail transport in Russia is one of the largest rail distribution systems in the world. According to PJSC "Russian Railways" data, the largest share in the delivery structure of the company is coal (26%), oil, gas and oil products (22%), and construction cargo (13%). Currently, Russian railways mainly use locomotives, wagons, and special machines produced in the Soviet Union and its republics. Poor quality of logistics infrastructure and railway vehicles directly affect efficiency of the transportation process, because the total cost of performing transport operations is more than half of all logistics activity costs of any company. In this regard, the paper analyses the economic performance of PJSC "SG-TRANS", which is the Russian largest railway operator to deliver oil and gas, and petrochemical cargoes. The authors of the paper studied the power balance in the market of liquefied gases delivery: the current market situation is determined, short- and long-term perspectives of carriers’ activity are defined, key issues of railway vehicles operation when delivering liquefied gases by rail are identified (malfunction growth of components in logistics infrastructure, poor cleaning of railway tracks in the winter time, lack of an automated system to account gas loading on elevated structures, and customers reluctance to pick up a load in time), the optimal option of the car traffic volume of PJSC "SG-TRANS" from the base depot to the loading station is determined, and the economic efficiency of the proposed option to facilitate car traffic volume when delivering liquefied gases by rail is specified.