XIV International Transport and Logistics Conference started alongside TransRussia 2009 exhibition on April 21. Gennady BESSONOV, Secretary General, Coordination Council on TransSiberian Transportation, opened the first plenary session and states that the economic crisis is a good chance to consider everything that has been done in transport industry.

According to Vladimir KLIMENKO, First Deputy Chairman, State Duma Transport Committee, the very first anti-crisis program initiated by the government last year made it possible to preserve the financial system and avoid the collapse of industrial economy. The new program, in turn, aims at supporting industries and transportation system. The task is to create a new economic model and to find internal resources for this lofty goal. Several principles are employed: increase of the state investments, improved efficiency of state projects to diversify the economy, further integration of transportations system and more involvement of private business into the related processes.

The speaker noticed that even under current conditions there is no sense in abandoning the major projects for the latter stimulate development of economy in general. Such project include Urals Industrial – Urals Polar, second line of Volga-Don channel, Northern Sea Route and Eurasian Transport Corridor. It would be of worth to issue infrastructural obligation for these projects thus attracting internal investment. Total volume of finance that could be used to develop transport system accounts up to 10% GDP. Huge money for the huge goals.

Boris LAPIDUS, Senior Vice-President, Russian Railways, believes that development of railway transportation is the vital state instrument for overpowering the economic recession. This is proved with world experience as our civilization has repeatedly found an exit out of an abyss by investing into the future and infrastructure. Even today many countries employ this solution. Thus France has shifted the date of four high-speed freeways construction from 2013 to 2010. This is a very sound solution, which stimulates demand for various goods and creates many new jobs.

In Russia the similar solution is provided by Strategy of Development of Railways Transport till 2030. The program presupposes construction of 20.7 thousand kilometers of railways, production and purchase of over 20 thousand trains. Mr. Lapidus thinks that the crisis can affect the choice of options (there are two of them – minimal and maximum) but not the strategy itself that is certainly most innovative. To be constructed are 10 thousand km of high speed passenger railways and 13 thousand of special lines for heavy duty trains. Moreover, around 100 modern terminals will be included into railway network.

Today we lack large investments that would help to improve competitiveness of Russia in the world transport market and this is why there is a constant search for innovative technologies and solutions. OAO RZD undertakes to create a special “basket” of transport services and products. The first of those is the delivery of transit cargos from port Vostochniy in the Far East to western boundaries of the country in seven days. This is twice as fast if compared with transit three years ago. Just recently, the experimental train has crossed 9 thousand km. in 6 days and 20 hours. The strategy of the company is obviously both simple and correct: if you can not compete with sea transportation in terms of costs (which have fallen three times on the sea routes) you just have to win over when it comes to delivery terms and service quality.

The conference will continue till April 23. In total there are over 40 speeches by specialists from 15 countries. Around 400 delegates take part in the event.