Cooperation strategy in focus at the sixth business forum

The business programme of the VI International Rail Business Forum 1520 Strategic Partnership, with Business Dialogue as the organiser and Russian Railways as the General Partner, will begin on 1 June 2011 in Sochi. This year cooperation strategy for the 1520 and 1435 space transport systems will be the Forum´s chief topic.

Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, said the Forum would be of special interest for developing long-term partnerships between European and Asian countries. The Forum´s first working day will have participants discuss what the prospects are in an effective-integration model for two spaces and what this model can give for developing Russian, European and Asian railway companies.

Representatives from the government agencies and railway administrations of the 1520 and 1435 space countries, along with major transport companies from Russia, CIS countries and the Baltic States will participate in discussions on the future of the Eurasian transport system, cooperation strategy and interaction tactics in this field. Participants in the VI International Rail Business Forum include Sergei Shishkaryov, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Transport Committee; Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways; Niko Varbanoff, Managing Director at DB International; Dr. Hans-Jörg Grundmann, Vice-President of Siemens AG; Boris Lapidus, Chairman of the International Railway Research Council at the International Union of Railways; Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, General Director of the International Union of Railways; Anatoly Sivak, Head of Belarusian Railways; Askar Mamin, President of JSC National company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, and many more.

For the first time ever, the 2011 event will be overseen by three independent directors, including Mikhail Berger, General Director of United Media Holding; Mikhail Dmitriyev, President of the Centre for Strategic Research; and Karl-Stefan Neumann, Director of the Frankfurt Office of McKinsey & Company.

The plenary session on international cooperation strategy to develop the Eurasian transport system will focus on the current situation and growth prospects for Eurasia´s railways. New business opportunities in both spaces and joint projects will be among priority topics.

This topic will be further considered at the Forum´s first discussion, where tactical guidelines for interaction in developing a single transport system will be debated. Specific measures and solutions for modernising infrastructure and boosting capacity where the 1520 and 1435 spaces meet play a big role today for the railway sectors in the respective countries. In particular, the expansion of the broad gauge system to Viena will help to significantly expand geographic coverage, fortifying positions for international cooperation between administrations and business communities of the participating countries.        

Not only the boosting of cooperation between the 1520 and 1435 spaces is taking on added importance now, but also the acceleration of traffic along the respective international corridors. So, Siemens will devote its international business dialogue to the transportation mobility as a factor for increasing cooperation between the two spaces, namely, prospects for the development of high-speed services. Dietrich Moeller, President of Siemens in Russia and Central Asia Siemens and Vice-President of Siemens AG, will chair the dialogue, where Forum participants will be able to discuss the prospects for the building and joint management of high-speed lines based on international consortiums and life-cycle projects, the investment component in fostering high-speed transport, the need to upgrade infrastructure within both spaces, and much more. Representatives of government agencies from the Forum participating countries and their railway administrations are invited to take part in the discussion, as well as major international companies offering advanced solutions for equipment delivery and railway modernisation to foster high-speed services. 

Just as important in this respect is the preparation of highly qualified specialists to address new challenges related to cooperation between the two spaces. Deutsche Bahn´s international message will focus on the role of human resources in furthering this cooperation. The discussion on the areas of transport construction in the 1520 space will outline specific ways of solving problems arising in the process of upgrading the existing railway network. For its part, the Interstate Technical Committee for Standartisation No. 524, which will also meet during the Forum, will consider common principles of technical regulation within the 1520 mm gauge system, as well as the development of international standards, their harmonisation with international and regional analogues, and other matters. The meeting will be chaired by Valentin Gapanovich, Senior Vice President of Russian Railways.

The Forum´s business programme also envisages the signing of about dozen agreements of importance for the business development and integration between both spaces. 

On the second day of the conference, the business agenda will centre on discussing ways on how to bring both spaces closer together, including in terms of freight and passenger transportation, railway station development, production investment, integration, research and security – eight areas in all. The ranking “Who is Who in Transport Business”, complied jointly by the RZD Partner business magazine and INFOLine news agency, will be presented on the second day of the Forum. 

As part of an informal programme, a traditional football tournament will be played out by four 5-strong teams.

In 2011, the International Forum will gather the key representatives of the professional railway community for the sixth time already, allowing them to make their contribution to the development of integration between the 1520 and 1435 spaces, and providing an opportunity for the Forum to reaffirm its status as one of the main transport events of the year.