The development of secondary vocational education in Russia under the influence of socio-economic factors requires full-fledged scientific and methodological support. Among scientific research, an important role is played by works related to forecasting, which is not limited to attempts to predict the future, but prepares for the adoption of promising management decisions, creates a meaningful ground for frontier developments of a scientific and scientific-methodological nature.

Many aspects of the development of secondary vocational education are deservedly called “eternal”, since the issues of material and technical support, qualification and training of teaching staff, the ratio of fundamental and practical orientation acquire new meanings at any stage of socio-economic development of society. It seems that the development of vocational education takes place according to the laws of reciprocating motion or a pendulum. From the pragmatic mission of providing the economy with personnel, to the humanitarian mission of comprehensive and harmonious personal development, bypassing the state of equilibrium. At the same time, the previous configurations of the system have never been repeated in full yet. This suggests that it is advisable to apply to many research topics repeatedly, without fear of coming to previously obtained results.

Modern pedagogy of vocational education needs reliable information about current topics, which makes it possible to make research really useful for the development of practice, to prepare researchers to solve problems of a proactive nature.

The article reflects the modern understanding of the competence of a specialist, indicates the strengthening of the practice-oriented educational programs, and also reveals the concept of including the competitive movement in the educational process of secondary vocational education in the specialties of the railway profile, the significance and prospects for the development of this direction.

The new format of professional skill championships, proposed by the non-profit organization “Association of Colleges and Technical Schools of Transport” and supported by the Federal Agency for Railway Transport and the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Additional Professional Education “Training and Methodological Center for Education in Railway Transport”, is considered in detail. It is important to note that today these are practically the only training competitions that unite educational organizations of railway transport in all directions and specialties.

The article will be useful not only for getting acquainted with the concept of this competition, but also for forming a methodology for using its results, introducing the competitive component into the educational process and improving the quality of training specialists for the transport industry.

The design and implementation of a new educational technology in the system of secondary vocational education is the basis for the formation of modern approaches aimed at updating and improving personnel training, taking into account the main trends in the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation. Vocational education traditionally focuses on the employer in its activities. The new educational technology “Professionalitet” is based on the basic approaches to the training of qualified mid-level personnel for the railway industry in accordance with the modern needs of the labor market and the effective interaction of educational organizations with the main employer Open Joint Stock Company “Russian Railways”.

The experience of using VR-technologies in the educational process of branch, and the advantages of an immersive (virtual) approach to teaching are considered.

Theoretical aspects of the use of virtual simulators are given, their effectiveness is shown. The types of simulation simulators used in the branch are presented: “Inspector-repairer of wagons”, “Electrician of signaling devices”, “Model of a traction substation”. These simulators are successfully used in the educational process and in preparation for the WorldSkills championships, professional skill competitions.

The advantages of virtual reality technology in comparison with other educational technologies are the ability to immerse the student in the broadcast material, to perform actions with virtual objects and objects, to perform work safely, to acquire practical skills within the framework of mastering a specialty, which contribute to the formation of general and professional competencies.

As part of the monitoring of the use of virtual reality simulators, there is an increase in the quality of the educational process by 17 %. During the monitoring, students of the branch noted an increased motivation to study professional modules, the possibility of modeling real experience in a safe environment, as well as maximum involvement in the learning process.

The use of VR technologies in the classroom will create an improved modern educational environment and expand student learning opportunities.

Currently, there is a process of redistribution of existing cargo flows, an active search is underway for alternative options for the delivery of goods, and actual logistics chains are being formed. Logistics companies in the context of existing prohibitions and restrictions are forced to find new markets. The long-term vector of cooperation from the western side is moving to the east. In these rapidly changing conditions for the functioning of the country’s economy, the importance of domestic road and rail transport is growing. Road transport is the most rapidly rebuilding in the development of new transport chains. The importance of rail transport also remains high, especially when transporting goods over long distances. Improving the efficiency of logistics providers directly depends on the choice of business strategy and the development of the company as a whole.

Tools are presented to assess the effectiveness of logistics providers. Methods are proposed for performing such an analysis, allowing to draw conclusions about the required number of transport infrastructure facilities, the choice of transport mode for the full development of a given cargo flow. The result of the study was the analysis of a way to minimize the costs of logistics providers using the method of comparative analysis. This method takes into account the costs of maintaining transport infrastructure facilities, maintaining and servicing vehicles, organizing transportation, by searching for the break-even point of a logistics company.

The purpose of the study is to improve the quality of services aimed at the client of railway stations, which is an integral part of the quality of services provided along with the technical and functional component. The task of providing high-quality services and their attractiveness in the context of the dynamic development of the transport business and competition between carriers is being solved.

A “portrait” of a railway station employee has been compiled, which can be used as a practical tool for creating and implementing a system of staff motivation, improving the quality of training, staff competence, staff loyalty to the development direction of Russian Railways (due to the coincidence of internal staff needs), improving the quality of services provided, the development of new services at railway stations, and the improvement of customer satisfaction at railway stations.

Cause-and-effect relationships, simulation modeling, algorithmization, data analysis, block diagrams, etc. are used.

The solution of the main problem is considered — a tool is found to ensure the quality of services at railway stations. A “portrait” of a railway station employee was compiled, taking into account the characteristics and the required level of quality services. The needs of customers using the services of railway stations are taken into account. The types of personalities that are most suitable for employment and further development in the management of railway stations are identified.

The technologies of Industry 4.0 are considered as a driver of digitalization of transport and logistics ecosystems and their practical significance for increasing the efficiency of the industry, integrating with intellectual priorities for the development of the digital economy at the national and interstate levels.

We used materials from open sources on the Internet, as well as the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2030, the strategy for the digital transformation of key sectors of the economy. The methodology of theoretical research, comparative and system analysis were applied. The results of the study show that the level of implementation of digital services and the digital connectivity of participants in the transport and logistics market will become determining factors in the process of increasing the competitiveness and efficiency of the transport industry.

The results of the current stage of the digital transformation of the industry are characterized, the concept of the development of the logistics sector is presented, taking into account the current geopolitical agenda.

Further scaling the use of digital services in transport and logistics ecosystems will solve the problem of ensuring the transport and digital sovereignty of the Russian Federation in the face of modern geopolitical challenges and will form points of growth for the competitiveness of the Russian transport system for Industry 4.0.

In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, in order to increase the competitiveness of both the Russian economy as a whole and the transport and logistics industry, Russia will have to participate more actively in shaping the landscape of high-tech production, creating and implementing the main digital technologies that ensure its functioning.

Currently, the railways of the Russian Federation use high-speed electric trains Sapsan and Allegro, as well as high-speed trains Lastochka and Ivolga.

Considered the possibility of replacing foreign-made converter components with domestic-made components.

Compared the characteristics and specific indicators of the domestic traction converter BORDLINE CC1500 DC 3kV U 2000 037 A02 and the foreign frequency converter with a 3-level inverter MV9FT-31-781WAD-466+Z. A comparative analysis of the characteristics of the converters shows that the efficiency of the converter of domestic production is higher by 6.6 % with a significant decrease in specific indicators in terms of weight and dimensions.

In order to increase the efficiency of the traction converter on the Ivolga electric train, it is proposed to replace it with a frequency converter with a 3-level inverter based on IGBT transistors MV9FT-31-781WAD-466+Z. A diagram of a frequency converter with a 3-level inverter based on IGBT transistors is presented.

The weight and size indicators of these converters are the same, which makes it possible to produce this equipment from components of domestic production. The possibility of creating a modern traction converter based on domestic components is shown.

Modernization of the traction converter on the Ivolga electric train using the domestic element base will make it possible to bring it into line with modern technical requirements and increase the efficiency of the electric train.

The purpose of the work is to form approaches to forecasting measures to ensure environmental safety of transport and utility complexes of technosphere territories by optimizing the system of regional waste management operators. To achieve this goal, the following scientific and applied tasks were solved in the work: the developments of scientists and specialists in the subject area under study were systematized; a system analysis of the current model of a regional operator for solid municipal waste management was carried out with justification of its low efficiency; based on the theory of dynamic analysis of stochastic systems with uncertain parameters, a model of a multifunctional operator for handling the resource component was developed generated waste of life support of technosphere territories; using the theories of analysis of multi-contour technological systems, the theory of fuzzy sets and fuzzy (soft) calculations, the modeling of states, parameters of a multi-contour system of technological transformation of material and raw materials resources aimed at achieving environmental safety of transport and utility facilities was carried out. The results of the research of this work are used in the process of forming a new waste processing infrastructure within the framework of the industry documents adopted at the federal level of strategic planning of industrial and technological development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030.

Addressing the history of transport development seems to be an urgent and in-demand task of modern historical science. The study of the historical past of the railway system allows us to understand in more detail the cause-and-effect relationships of their development and to isolate the level of progress that had a serious impact on the further course of history.

Studying transport tickets is an important part of studying the history of transport. It becomes possible to understand how, by modifying tickets, they tried to facilitate and speed up the work of cashiers of long-distance buses and railway stations and city transport conductors. Travel tickets, reserved seats, receipts, boarding passes allow you to better study the development of technologies of commercial activity of railways.

The article is devoted to the description of a rather rare type of collecting: collecting transport tickets. The history of the appearance of transport documents has been studied: diplomas for the passage of Ancient Rome and roadside payz of China. It tells about the appearance of people collecting transport artifacts and about the dynasties of collectors, provides data on the size of the largest known collection, traces the history of the formation of associations of collectors of transport tickets. The names of the type of collecting in Russian, the appearance of the terms peridromophilia and eisitiristics are considered. It tells about the ways to replenish collections, where and how tickets are searched for or purchased.

In 2023, the branch of the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University in Kaluga (Kaluga branch of PGUPS) turns 145 years old. An essay on the 145-year history of the educational institution, modern achievements are presented.

The Kaluga Railway Technical School (now the Kaluga branch of PGUPS) is one of the oldest specialized secondary educational institutions in Russia.

It is very difficult to overestimate the importance of this institution and the specialists it trains. Over the years of its activity, the technical school has trained more than 20 thousand specialists for the country’s railway transport (including for the Republic of Cuba), machine-building and instrument-making enterprises, and the armed forces.

The pride of the college is its graduates. Many graduates have government and industry awards, academic degrees and titles, work as teachers in universities and technical schools of railway transport, in road technical schools. For high performance in the training of young specialists, the technical school was repeatedly awarded with diplomas and letters of thanks.

The branch has its own museum, which stores documents about the history of the educational institution, its leaders, employees, students, outstanding graduates and teachers. Museum exhibits and literature together constitute a memorable book.

At present, the tradition of succession of generations is being preserved and developed in the branch.

The history of the formation and development of railway education in Azerbaijan from the end of the 19th century is considered until the early 1930s; goals, organization and content of the educational process in educational institutions at the railways, forms of educational institutions, problems of training national personnel for the railway industry. It is noted that despite the existing problems in the training of national personnel, primarily related to ignorance of the Russian language, by the end of the 19th century. The first railway engineers from among the Azerbaijanis began to appear.

This period of time is associated with important stages in the history of the region, the country and the whole world. If the opening of the first railway line in Azerbaijan was associated with the rapid development of the oil industry, then the expansion took place against the background of the peak of the economic power of the Russian Empire, and subsequently the outbreak of the First World War. A difficult period for the railways of Azerbaijan came after the revolutions of 1917, during the confrontation between the revolutionary forces of the Bolsheviks and local authorities, part of the railways was put out of action. Attempts to rebuild the destroyed tracks were made by the national government of Azerbaijan, but the railway was fully restored only after the establishment of Soviet power in the country.

The improvement of educational institutions on the railway is inextricably linked with the development of the railway industry. All historical and political changes that had an impact on the industry were reflected in the process of training specialized personnel.

A brief description of the history of the origin of engineering education in Russia, the creation of the Institute of Railway Engineers by Alexander I is presented. The high level of training of engineering personnel, who made a huge contribution to the construction of the country’s railways, where the Trans-Siberian Railway occupies a special place, is shown. The strategic and economic significance of the Trans-Siberian Railway has been relevant since the time of its construction. Russia has the right to be proud of the engineers who built the Great Siberian Railway and opened traffic along it, linking the east and west of the vast territory of the country. The necessity of popularizing the activities of engineers — the creators of the great Trans-Siberian Railway by publishing essays, issues and books is substantiated.

In the Ozherelievsky Railway College — a branch of PGUPS, the volunteer movement SD 3 “Hurry to do good deeds” has existed for more than 20 years. It currently has more than 500 people in its ranks — these are students, teachers, parents of students, college graduates. Volunteers work in many areas: help the elderly and people with disabilities; children left without parental care; homeless animals; participate in campaigns for a healthy lifestyle, etc.

Currently, the volunteer movement is developing the following areas: environmental volunteering; promotion of healthy lifestyles; creation; intellectual volunteering (when a person uses his professional skills and knowledge for the benefit of others free of charge); preservation of the history of their region; spiritual volunteering.

CD 3 is marked by many letters of thanks, diplomas and certificates. Projects win prizes in various competitions: in 2021, the social volunteering project “Hurry up to do good deeds” was awarded a 1st degree diploma in the “Best Volunteer” review competition of the volunteer movement of educational institutions of secondary vocational education administered by the Federal railroad agencies.