The Russian government will work out measures for railway transport development up to 2030. Alexander Misharin, the deputy minister of transportation, will set out the long-term strategy at the cabinet meeting on September 6, Itar-Tass learned from the government press service on Wednesday.
Addressing a conference in April 2007 on railway transport development for a long-term perspective, President Vladimir Putin made a warning against monopolistic tendencies that can “produce a monster that will stifle competition.”
“The success of the investment policy will depend on the effectiveness of the future model of the transport services market, and it is necessary to create conditions for normal competition in various areas of the railway business, first of all, in transportation and the supply of locomotives and repair services on equal terms,” the president stressed.
Putin believes the social aspect is one of the most important aspects of the branch’s reform. “The reform must be planned in such a way as not to infringe the passengers’ interests,” the president declared. “People must not pay for the industry’s restructuring. This is the task of the state, and the state must ensure normal functioning of the service.”