Last year, the Russian government has quietly shifted the question of subsidizing commuter rail on the shoulders of the regional authorities. In this case, the largest state-owned monopoly OAO «Russian Railways», the proceeds of which 2012 amounted to 1366 trillion rubles, net profit — 1411 billion rubles., is in no hurry to financially support their regionaltrucking companies. On the contrary, «Muscovites from Russian Railways» receive a fee from them by leasing rolling stock (mostly outdated and worn-out), and providing infrastructure. And that local authorities were posgovorchivee, advanced railway managers are sending them opaque hints. On the possible social problems. So, in late March, Russian Railways has organized throughout the Russian grand PR campaign (I wonder, how much it cost, and who has mastered these funds?) Withattracting passengers. Under the slogan «Save the train! . » The idea of the campaign: collect signatures from outraged citizens demanding to find in the regional budget funds to cover losses from commuter rail transportation.
«Express Primorye»
In Primorsky Krai main operator commuting is JSC «Maritime Express», 51% of whose shares are owned by OAO «RZD», 49%belong to the administration of the province. The company provides commuter passenger transportation on 26 routes with 16 trains.
«Without the regional subsidy loss on commuter services in the current year amounted to 406 million rubles., — Said the» K «on the communication manager of the company Irina Saprykina. — But agreed to partially compensate for these losses, and 2013 from the regional budget we willallocated as a grant of 105 million rubles. «.
According Saprykina, in «Maritime Express» realize: without funding from the federal budget in the coming years will have to again close a number of commuter routes and further reduce the car fleet. «Save the train» by PR actions impossible that ever conductivity.
«Maritime Express» report annually hundreds of millions of rubles of losses from transportation activities sinceFounded in 2005 The total sum of the «minus» close to 2 billion rubles.
«Aeroexpress»
Another daughter, «Russian Railways» has appeared in the Maritime region on the eve of the APEC summit. In July last year, the Moscow OOO «Aeroexpress» opened up «speed» rail service between the center of Vladivostok and the airport. Today the company is the sole operator ofTransport of passengers Moscow Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo with Moscow\’s central railway station, is also open between the airport and train stations Sochi Adler and Sochi. 50% of this company is owned Russian Railways, the remaining shares are distributed among several Russians of those who are called «oligarchs.»
In Vladivostok, in the project of «Russian Railways» has invested more than 8 billion rubles. Experts «to» immediately ask: Why? After all, any sensibleperson understands that the real need for a separate supply w /d branch to the terminal is not, because there is no passenger traffic (they will not appear in the foreseeable future). After the reconstruction of the road from the city to the airport is always free, and with proper planning dozen modern and comfortable buses would be the solution. These buses (limousine bus) deliver travelers from the airport to the city center and to the major hotels in Seoul, Tokyo and other cities in the world (by the way,Vladivostok Hyatt\’y if they Ever Still open is likely to launch its own airport shuttles, buses).
Thus, the appropriate response to the above issue then no one has. It is clear why: a picture of red racing Express «burst» billions to talking to here? Now the «fast train» the irritation even «in the family», ie The company «Maritime Express» — that uses the transport structure Railways and also claims for subsidies from the regional budget.
According to the press-secretary of the Company «Aeroexpress» Hope Dorzhieva, today 75% of all passengers carried by the Vladivostok Aeroexpress are by no means air travelers and those who travel out of the city to the suburbs or vice versa. Some One of the customers «daughter» of the other dragged. However, the problem of low occupancy cars UFA is not solved.
Philip Osipov, head of the branch of «Aeroexpress» in Vladivostok: «Indeed, a transportation unprofitable. Losses in Vladivostok on the order of 100 million rubles. for the year. We hope that some of them will still be compensated by regional subsidies, and we will stay in the region. » Osipov also said that the company is still considering the possibility of expanding the range of additional services, «Now we conduct market research on the subject of the demand for passenger service check-in luggage at the train station» Aeroexpress «in Vladivostok. And if it will prove to be in demand, we will try to implement it. But it also requires a willingness on the part of the airport and the airline. »
One can only marvel inability to manage domestic structures. It seems to be obvious, This «extra service» to be provided by the definition (as originally promised, during the «pretty pictures»), and they still have not figured out the readiness of each other Or is it still not in the inability and unwillingness?
Gregory Carpenter, director of maritime, rail and air transport industry and the Department of Transport Primorsky Territory Administration: «The request to subsidize transportation in Vladivostok» Aeroexpress «appeal to us more than once. Whenever we refused, arguing that «Aeroexpress» is not a natural monopoly, in contrast, by the way, from the same «Express Primorye.» However, the chance of getting at the edge of subsidies «Aeroexpress» is still there. «We have asked them to prepare a development strategy in Primorye. To be seen how serious their intentions to remain in the region and improve the quality and accessibility of its services to the public — said Carpenter. — If the governor approves the submitted vector of development, the issue of subsidies «Aeroexpress» will be discussed in the Regional Legislative Assembly. We are talking about the subsidies of $ 100-150 mln. for the current year. »
Resourceful they are still boys, these Muscovites.
EXPERT COMMENTARY
Michael Terek, head of the Laboratory of Coastal and global economic issues Economic Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, School of Economics and Management, Palo, «Aeroexpress and is having a bad competitor buses. On the bus in two and a half times cheaper, they go more often stopped at the request of, and in speed is not inferior to «high-speed» train. In addition, Vladivostok — this is the «avtomobilizirovanny» city in Russia, so many get to the airport by car. Fully adapted to the suburban market in itself and cutting unprofitable, which already has a monopoly in the face of «Maritime Express», is also disadvantageous.
In the future, guarantee of profitability «Aeroexpress» in Vladivostok — the development of event tourism in the city, that is, the holding of an intense various international and national conferences, forums, workshops, festivals, etc. These tourists could become the main clients of these trains. But for them it will be necessary to create a number of additional services, including shuttle service from the station to the hotels in Vladivostok. However, at this point in Vladivostok is no one organization, perhaps with the exception of the Far Eastern Federal University, which could become a generator of event tourism.
In general, if the current trend in the market economy of the region commuter rail has no future. In this regard, perhaps the two «daughter» RZD may eventually be combined, and their trains will run within the Maritime region on the newly rebuilt ways. »
Eduard Popov, Gregory Semenov, » Competitor »