Lithuanian Railways Research Articles

Assessment of Implementing Green Logistics Principles in Railway Transport: The Case of Lithuania

Today, green transport is a growing trend in terms of transport costs, CO2 emissions and satisfaction with logistics services. Green logistics is an environmentally friendly and sustainable logistics system that encompasses activities affecting logistics functions and processes, promoting the environment and the development of a circular economy. Rail transport is considered to be one of the least polluting modes of transport, but the fact that only electrified rail represents the concept of green logistics has been underemphasised, as the fleet consisting of diesel trains is a major challenge. This article aims to investigate the implementation of green logistics in railway transport in the case of Lithuania. The scientific literature, SWOT analysis, expert evaluation and parameter correlation methods were used to achieve this goal. An analysis of the internal and external factors of Lithuanian Railways in terms of green logistics has identified the main strengths of rail transport. These are environmental friendliness, electric trains reducing CO2 emissions, a strong focus on circular economy and others. The main weaknesses include the more extensive use of diesel trains, competition, etc. The external factors of the company show that the main opportunities are the reduction in net CO2 emissions to zero, the acquisition of more electric locomotives and others, while the main threats include an increase in energy costs or the complexity of implementing new technologies. An analysis of these factors has led to the construction of a SWOT matrix, which shows that the company’s strategy in the field of green logistics is quite strong, with more strengths than weaknesses. The results made it possible to identify the links between the individual implementation principles of green logistics in railway transport and provide strategic guidelines for the successful integration of green logistic principles into railway transport in Lithuania.

Lithuanian Railways: The Court of Justice Narrows Down the Scope of Application of the Doctrine of Essential Facilities

Lithuanian Railways: The Court of Justice Narrows Down the Scope of Application of the Doctrine of Essential Facilities

The Importance of Developing Servant Leadership Competencies for Middle Managers in Organisations: A Case Study on the Requirements and the Impact

This paper presents research on the requirements and impact of servant leadership competencies development for middle managers in Lithuanian Railways. The research aimed to determine the requirements for servant leadership development. The methods of use were deduced based on middle managers’ gender, location, size of the team, managerial experience and field of activity. A qualitative research design was used based on in-depth focus group discussions with middle managers (7) and senior managers (4). Creating strategic investments in human capital development and a supportive organisational culture that values servant leadership is needed.

Pastatyti valstybę ant bėgių: geležinkelių vaidmuo nacionaliniame Pirmosios Lietuvos Respublikos projekte

PLACING THE COUNTRY ON THE TRACK: THE ROLE OF RAILWAYS IN THE NATIONAL PROJECT OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA Based on a study on the Czechoslovak railways and spatial planning by the German historian Felix Konrad Jeschke, the article analyses analogous processes in the First Republic of Lithuania in several respects. On the basis of published and archival documents and historiography, the article examines the takeover of the Lithuanian railways after the First World War, the preparation and implementation of development projects during the years of statehood, and the impact of these processes on the consolidation of Lithuanian space. KEYWORDS: First Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian railways, Czechoslovakia, space, state territory.

Paradigm of cyber security transformation in Lithuanian Railways during a pandemic

Cyber security is not a complete process, so businesses cannot fully ensure cyber resilience in their activities. Every business can be vulnerable, no matter how it is able to respond to the need for security, create a secure cyber environment and apply modern cyber security measures. Therefore, in a changing operating environment, it is very important to find the right balance to meet the needs of business through targeted cyber security measures, as well as to anticipate potential risks and prepare for preventive action. The study described in this paper focuses on the cyber security challenges, threats and adequate mechanisms for managing them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main aim of the research was to measure the current cyber security state of JSC Lithuanian Railways (also known as LTG) with the following two objectives: 1) to evaluate LTG cyber security practices impacted by COVID-19; 2) to reveal LTG’s cyber security transformation. This paper analyses LTG’s experience in managing cyber security risks during a pandemic. The results of the analysis showed that it is important to identify the peculiarities of emerging risks and their impact on the business environment. Also, it is necessary to assess the possibilities of integrated application of organisational and technical measures aimed at eliminating or minimising the emerging risks.

RAILWAYS IN LITHUANIA: FROM TSARIST RUSSIA TO RAIL BALTICA

Lithuania is a transit country. It is a small but significant territory between East and West. This fact is substantiated by the history of the country railways, which started when Tsarist Russia launched the construction of the railway between Saint-Petersburg and Warsaw. There is not much research into the history of railways in Russia, also in Lithuania. Besides, not all available information is reliable due to the nihilistic attitudes towards Tsarism of that time. Only some of the railways in the former Soviet Union were written and talked about. The history of the Lithuania railway is not an exception. Different written sources provide a variety of dates for the first railway to be built in Lithuania. They mirror varied events in the history of Lithuanian railways, thus all of them must be taken into consideration. The article presents the evolution of Lithuanian railway transport from Tsarist Russia to Rail Baltica, which is the European railway project currently implemented in Lithuania. The article discusses the world’s first railways including the ones in Tsarist Russia when the history of Lithuanian railways started. The article also considers the building of the first railway in Lithuania, construction of railway stations, setting the transportation tariffs, selection of railway employees. The author of the article employs historical and online resources as well as a long-standing personal experience in railway transport. The research into Tsar Family’s diaries and historical novels makes it possible to disclose the facts that are not widely known. The author considers the future of Lithuania with reference to the construction of the European railway Rail Baltica. The article would be useful for the readers who are interested in the historical development and future of Lithuanian railways.

ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ НЕОБХІДНОСТІ КАПІТАЛІЗАЦІЇ ЗАЛІЗНИЧНОГО ТРАНСПОРТУ

The article examines the need for capitalization of railway transport and notes that a stable railway transport is a guarantee of development of all sectors of the economy, and its effectiveness is determined by the dynamics of recovery of fixed assets, growth of demand for rail transport, structural reform, efficiency of tariff policy, state-regulated natural monopoly sectors, the intensity of use of international transport corridors. The contribution of railway transport to the economic development of the country is determined, which is manifested in the effect of the network, improvement of results, reliability, market size and productivity. The main factors that prompted railway transport to capitalize are identified, which include: restructuring (involves market introduction and competition in areas that are not a natural monopoly), market liberalization and the creation of joint ventures or public-private partnerships. These factors were considered on the example of railway transport in European countries, in particular, the restructuring was considered on the basis of the experience of Polish Railways, market liberalization - Lithuanian Railways, and public-private partnership - French National Railways. Consideration of the capitalization of railway transport took into account its attribution to the critical infrastructure and the commitment to perform socially important tasks. The analysis allowed to identify a number of advantages (relative efficiency, the possibility of using different types of packaging and forms of transportation, flexibility of delivery, independence from climatic conditions and seasonality) and disadvantages (large infrastructure, increased costs in case of increasing transportation distance, transshipment in case of intercontinental transportation etc.). It is substantiated that the formation of a systematic approach to the capitalization of railway transport will increase the efficiency of equity use, maximum satisfaction of demand in the market of transport services, the formation of economically sound management structure and maximize the efficiency of financial investments.

To the problem of train running safety

The paper is presenting the procedure used for establishing the cause of the wagon derailment. To do this, the computer simulations and the computational software, developed in the Dnipro National University of Railway Transport (DIIT) were used. The level of longitudinal forces and the wagons dynamic performance have been evaluated using the mathematical models of longitudinal oscillations of a train and the spatial vibrations of wagons, in particular of tank wagons. As a result of modeling we obtained oscillograms of longitudinal forces in each inter-wagon connection, the dependence of the largest longitudinal forces on travel time and distance traveled, the distribution of the maximum longitudinal forces along the train length, the speed dependence on travel time and track coordinates. We also obtained the dynamic performance of wagons: the vertical dynamics coefficients of the axle-box and central suspension, the horizontal dynamics coefficients and the derailment stability coefficient. The influence of the movable load in the tank wagons and the characteristics of rail irregularities on the stability coefficient against wheel climbing onto the rail is also considered. The presented methodology was used to determine the cause of the tank wagon derailment in a non-homogenous freight train consisting of 50 wagon tanks on an existing track section of the Lithuanian railways. When simulating the train movement, it was assumed that the train was equipped with elastic-friction absorbing devices and air distributors, turned on to the average operation mode. As a result of numerical experiments, an assumption was made about the cause of the train derailment.

Improvement of Diagnostic Parameters of a Rolling Wheel with Flat Spot and Experimental Test on Lithuanian Railways

The JSC (Joint-Stock Company) “Railway Products Conformity Assessment Center”, under a contract with JSC “Lithuanian Railways”, carried out a rolling stock geometry and rolling surface defect risk assessment study which analyzed the principles and algorithm of the ATLAS-LG system used by JSC “Lithuanian Railways” and the system’s advantages and similarities with other systems used for rolling surface defect prediction worldwide. According to the results of this study, JSC “Voestalpine VAE Legetecha” made changes to the algorithms of its ATLAS-LG computing system and changed the parameter used to determine the damage to wheelsets. The goal of this work was to review the automatic systems of rolling stock used to evaluate the state of the rolling stock, compare the criteria for culling, describe the methodology for setting a new parameter for detecting wheel damage Pderivative instead of the previous parameter Kdm, and upgrade operational algorithms of ATLAS. This paper describes the algorithm and methodology for setting a new parameter, evaluating the construction of rolling stock and movement speed. To develop a replacement algorithm for the ATLAS-LG system, a new parameter verification methodology using the inverse Laplace transform for the mathematical model was used.

Financial Risk Assessment: Case of „Lietuvos Geležinkeliai“, AB

Abstract This research paper focuses on the analysis of the financial risk of Lietuvos geležinkeliai, AB (eng. Lithuanian Railways), which activities are passenger and freight transportation by rail. In order to assess the financial risk of the leading company areas of financial risk were identified and are as follows: liquidity risk, credit risk and market risk. However, due to limited access to statistics only financial report of the organisation were analysed and, hence, just liquidity and credit risk were investigated. Consequently, the limitation of the current research is that only two categories of financial risk were analysed. For the purpose of financial risk analysis, the key indicators of liquidity and credit risk were distinguished from the literature. The results showed that the biggest problem of the company is too small short-term assets and the profitability indicators, which were strongly influenced by net profit (loss).

RESEARCH OF IMPACT OF THE LOADING ON ENDURANCE OF THE FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES

The publication reflects the research results of the rationalization of the rolling stock use of JSC LG Lithuanian railways to...

Analysis of Application Management Theories and Methods for Developing Railway Transport

It is important to take into account the application of management theories and models for development of rail transport. During the examination of the management science, it is necessary to take into account various theories that can be applied to different fields of activity. Railway transport is a special field of activity in which attention must be paid to the specifics, asserted to diverse activities, across organizational, technological and productive aspects. Therefore, in the context of application of management principles, it is necessary to evaluate the complexity of the railway transport activity, linkages with other activities, by properly selecting the type of management and its specific theories of management application. In order to check the relevance of internationalization process management model of Lithuanian railway transport development, it was carried out an expert assessment on the expert assessment method. This method includes the expert survey questionnaires and evaluation of expert opinions compatibility and their results.

MODELLING THE ASSESSMENT OF TRAFFIC RISK AT LEVEL CROSSINGS OF LITHUANIAN RAILWAYS

The article discusses the problem of railway safety management and the criteria for evaluating the traffic risk described in various scientific publications. The research aims to assess the risk posed to railway infrastructure objects and to create a model for safety risk evaluation. The research on the traffic safety risk with respect to the infrastructure of the rail transport system was divided into three stages. The Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) model can be used for investigating the problem of managing railway traffic safety risks in the Lithuanian railways. The main threats to railway infrastructure objects are defined, and the catalogue of technical parameters of level crossings of the Lithuanian railways is presented. The maximum allowable train speed, the intensity of railway and road traffic, as well as the size (width) and visibility of level crossings from the train driver’s cab are chosen as the main criteria for evaluating the vulnerability of a level crossing. The logistic regression method has been applied to rank and assess the safety of level crossings of the Lithuanian railways. The validity of the model developed in the present work for assessing traffic safety risks at level crossings of Lithuanian railways is about 86%. The suggested risk evaluation model is flexible and can be easily adapted for the evaluation and monitoring of safety risk of other elements pertaining to railway infrastructure. Finally, the basic conclusions and recommendations are provided.

RESEARCH OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND REDUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN FREIGHT RAIL TRANSPORTATION

The publication presents the results arising from the experimental and mathematical modelling studies, which mainly aimed to investigate the selection and optimization of the rational operation modes particular to diesel engines of freight locomotives in the possession of the JSC ‘Lithuanian Railways’ (AB ‘Lietuvos geležinkeliai’). The goal of the optimization is to increase the energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions of harmful air pollutants to the environment from diesel engines of locomotives during freight transportation via the main lines of the Lithuanian railway network. A complex energy efficiency and environmental pollution assessment criterion KE–E adjusted for diesel engines of freight locomotives has been suggested. The use of KE–E on the basis of the conducted complex experimental mathematical computer modelling studies has determined that the reserves reducing fuel consumption, harmful emissions and greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions constitute 6÷15% on an average, and in the case of individual railway network lines they go up to 30%. The comparative emission of harmful components per fuel mass (NOx, CO, CH, PM) e´NOx, e´CO, e´CH, e´PM when carrying freight via the main lines of the railway network by trains weighing 3000÷7500 t has been singled out. The results constitute sufficient grounds to organise control of harmful emissions and provide an opportunity to solve practical tasks with a slight tolerance (3÷7%) taking account of diesel engines of locomotives used for transportation. It has been proposed to measure the freight transportation efficiency according to the complex criterion KE–E, indicates the energy efficiency and the assessment of environmental pollution originating from diesel engine of locomotives. The reserves for increasing the efficiency of energy usage have been studied according to the variational mathematical computer modelling data. A methodology for measuring the freight transportation rationality and estimating the optimal indicators has been proposed, using the values of the KE–E criterion for the railways freight transportation, as well as the technology for controlling the traction characteristics as well as energy and ecology indicators of diesel engines of locomotives in operational conditions.

The Application of EU Competition Rules in the Transport Sector

The decision attracting most attention in the transport sector in the period under consideration was the State aid decision relating to the Greek tonnage tax, while Estonian Air and Cyprus Airways were under investigation in the State aid area. After blocking several earlier attempts, the Commission cleared the acquisition of Aer Lingus and TNT Express and also approved the acquisition of sole control of Eurostar by SNCF. The Commission imposed fines on subsidiaries of ÖBB and DB for their participation in the block trains cartel, while it conducted an unannounced inspection in the rail passenger sector in Austria and sent a statement of objections on the Lithuanian railway company. Further, the Commission adopted a decision in relation to the SkyTeam air alliance.

POSSIBILITIES OF RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA: THE ANALYSIS OF REGULATIONS FOR RAILWAY DESIGN IN THE ASPECT OF REDUCTION OF ACOUSTIC NOISE / GELEŽINKELIŲ PLĖTROS GALIMYBĖS LIETUVOJE: GELEŽINKELIŲ KELIAMS PROJEKTUOTI SKIRTŲ NORMINIŲ TECHNINIŲ DOKUMENTŲ

All over the world railways are of the least-polluting vehicles, and they became increasingly popular. However, the noise emission from railway infrastructure is the most problematic issue, especially at the development planning stage. This article presents analysis of Lithuanian regulations for railway design in the aspect of reduction of acoustic noise. It analyses regulations, which are mandatory for Lithuanian railway designers and builders. In addition, the overview of regulations’provisions, which are related to noise mitigation measures, are presented. Pasaulyje vis labiau populiarėja kelionės geležinkeliais, kurie yra viena iš mažiausiai taršių transporto priemonių. Nuo geležinkelio infrastruktūros sklindantis triukšmas yra viena didžiausių problemų, ypač planuojant jų plėtrą. Straipsnyje pristatyta Lietuvos norminių techninių dokumentų, skirtų geležinkeliams projektuoti, analizė akustinio triukšmo mažinimo aspektu. Buvo išanalizuoti norminiai techniniai dokumentai, kurie privalomi naudoti Lietuvoje geležinkelių projektuotojams ir geležinkelių tiesėjams, bei apžvelgta, kokios yra juose nuostatos, susijusios su triukšmą mažinančiomis priemonėmis.

Analysis of Freight Wagon Wheel Failure Detection in Lithuanian Railways

The authors of this paper analyze the freight wagon wheel rolling surface damage detection process in Lithuanian Railways. The wagons were selected for this study in consideration of the Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) database. The results gained by experimental measurements of wheel rolling surface defects were compared with the data recorded by WILD. Distribution of failures of wheel types and dependence of the influence of the wheel-set location in a wagon on the occurrence of different defects of wheels was defined. The authors examined the reliability of WILD read-outs and wheel defect types influence on the dynamic coefficient value. Finally, basic conclusions and recommendations are given.

Advanced Technologies Used by Lithuanian Railways

Advanced Technologies (AT) is one of the major factors accelerating the development of the Lithuanian economy and ensuring the engine of economic growth allowing for a high added value and economic development. The railway transport sector invests in advanced technologies to ensure safety, environmental friendliness, energy efficiency, competitiveness, and a high level of customer-oriented service quality. The article briefly provides AT concepts and usage areas and significance, provides the advanced technologies features, and analyzes the main advanced technologies used by railways.

Diesel Trains Reliability Diversity Research

When forming and optimizing passenger rolling stock fleet it is important to properly assess the reliability of the introduced rolling stock. The article analyses certain patterns of reliability indicators for diesel trains “PESSA 630M” which were purchased and put into operation by JSC “Lithuanian Railways” and proposes the method how to compare the reliability indicators of rolling stock of the same type. It also examines the possibility to compare rolling stock reliability indicators ac-cording to comparison techniques applied in the assessment of economic processes as well as gives reliability indicators’ comparison examples.

The Models of Management of Railway Companies in the European Union: Holding, the German Experience

One of the main tasks of the long-term expansion of the Lithuanian railway transport is to ensure, following the European Union legislation, the implementation of a reform of the Lithuanian railway transportation sector so that the competitiveness of the country's railways in the European transport services market is increased. To properly implement the aforementioned objective, it is crucial to understand and to carry out a careful analysis on the existing railway management models (the separated one, the integrated one following the principle of holding and a completely integrated one). Only once all the pros and cons of the railway management models have been analyzed, one can choose the most optimum option for Lithuanian railways. This article will look at the advantages and disadvantages of the integrated model on the basis of the German railways. The article analyses the review of the German railway management model, the structure of the railway system, the criticism of the Deutsche Bahn model is provided in it along with the advantages of the German model.