The article discusses the issues of organizing and conducting mentoring during production and pre-diploma internships at real workplaces of railway transport enterprises for students of secondary vocational education in the railway industry. The objectives of implementing a targeted mentoring model in an educational institution have been studied.

A study was conducted of the formation of general and professional competencies, knowledge, skills, practical experience, safe, effective and modern methods and techniques for carrying out work among students of secondary vocational education in the railway industry during production and pre-graduation internships, including in student construction teams, while introducing a quality system mentoring, with official employment of students at real production facilities in the railway industry.

Particular attention is paid to the development of a mentoring system in railway transport and strengthening the connection between educational institutions of secondary vocational education and real enterprises of the railway industry in order to guarantee the effective training of highly qualified personnel.

The results of activities, prospects and opportunities for the development of educational and production centers (clusters) of railway transport during the implementation of the federal project “Professionalitet” are analyzed.

The purpose of the study is to assess the development opportunities of educational organizations participating in the implementation of the federal project “Professionalitet”, as well as to broadcast the experience of participation in the project of the Yaroslavl branch of PGUPS.

In connection with the tenth anniversary of the National Qualifications System in 2024, the main directions and results of work on its development are revealed, the main directions of future prospects are outlined, and the participation of the council for professional qualifications in railway transport is des.

The article is devoted to the topical issues of teaching English in the vocational school. The author analyzes the use of gaming technologies in the educational process, which help to improve the quality of foreign language classes, contribute to the creation of a favorable, comfortable environment in the classroom. The use of gaming technologies provides good feedback, the level of activity of students significantly increases in the lesson, develops the abilities of strong students, takes into account the different level of training of students. Game pedagogics is a method of development, education and upbringing of children, adolescents and adults in a playful way, an opportunity to safely practice new emotions, roles and actions. She creates a developing environment, hones personal qualities. Students acquire new skills, get the opportunity to overcome their own obstacles and fears. Pedagogical game technologies unite the team with the help of classes presented in the form of games, heated discussions, improvisations. The main technologies described in the article are: technology of gratitude, greetings and farewells, goal setting, technology of emotions and reflection, investment. With the help of such technologies, a teacher can successfully complete one of the tasks set — to increase the very motivation to learn a foreign language. The work is intended for teachers interested in improving the quality of teaching English.

The scientific article reflects the main stages of the historical development of the scientific and pedagogical school of the cycle “Technology of structural metals. Materials Science”, which is one of the areas of the department “Ground transport and technological complexes”. Employees of the department made a significant contribution to solving practical problems in assessing the effectiveness of existing technological processes for restoring the tread surface profile of wheel pairs of wheels, the proposed processes of face milling and turning when restoring the wheel rim profile, including the use of preliminary induction annealing to improve machinability, optimization of cutting conditions wheels based on linear and nonlinear programming methods. A large amount of research and implementation work has been carried out to improve the repair technology and increase the reliability of the wheel-motor unit of rail crews of railway rolling stock. Issues related to surfacing operations during repairs and increasing the wear resistance of deposited surfaces were considered.

At the same time, the teachers of the department conduct training sessions on disciplines at a high methodological level, without which it is impossible to imagine a modern engineer.

Over the years of work of the cycle “Technology of Structural Metals. Materials Science” a large number of textbooks, teaching aids, guidelines and manuals on laboratory work and course design, as well as collections of scientific papers, articles and monographs on the main areas of research work were published.

The historical digression presented in this article gives an idea of the scientific potential of the department accumulated over many years, which can serve as a reliable basis for further development of new scientific directions.

The subject of the research is the use of artificial intelligence in the educational process. The relevance is due to the need to introduce new technologies in order to improve the quality of training of mid-level specialists. Novelty and practical significance: the introduction of artificial intelligence helps to optimize the practical training of students.

Purpose of the research — to identify the attitude of teachers and students of the Medical College of Railway Transport to the use of artificial intelligence in the field of education.

Modern realities provide for the use of e-learning and distance technologies in education. The need for tools and services to convey knowledge via the Internet has increased with the transition of education to an online format. It is known the students spend a lot of time in messengers. An educational chatbot can become a powerful tool for online learning. This format makes learning more effective. One of the main advantages of introducing and using chatbots in education is the automation of processes in which both students and teachers, administrators, and employers participate.

Practical significance — a chat bot was created in the Medical College of Railway Transport in order to test the use of artificial intelligence in organizing practical training on the social network “VKontakte” in the community of MK ZhT, confirmed by “State Services”. A chat bot answers the most common questions of students, providing round-the-clock information support.

The subject of the study is the process of using gondola cars for transporting containers. The purpose of the study is to study the use of this non-specialized rolling stock for container transportation — gondola cars.

The prerequisites for returning to this container transportation technology, not used from 2014 to 2021, the organization of container transportation in gondola cars, and the economic component are considered. The relevance of the topic is due to the large share of container transportation and the current situation with the rolling stock — a shortage of fitting platforms and the difficulty of transporting them empty to loading points. The method of analytical comparisons is used.

Conclusions have been formulated confirming the effectiveness and rationality of container transportation using gondola cars, which seem controversial and unstable to some participants in the transportation process. The use of wagons for container transportation is an effective solution in conditions of a long supply of specialized rolling stock and its insufficient quantity on the railway network. However, container transportation in gondola cars requires the improvement of some technological documents to increase the level of safety of train traffic and the safety of transported goods.

The characteristics of digital twin technology are given and its use in the field of logistics operations is described. The digitalization of business processes and current concepts of Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0, the possibility of using simulation models in the context of improving the technological base of information systems are considered.

The need for digitalization in modern Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0 is indicated, since currently the most effective way to improve production, speed of transportation, and responsiveness of an organization’s business processes is the introduction of digital technologies, one of which is a digital twin. With its help, it becomes possible to create virtual copies of warehouses, conveyors and even cities. The introduction of this technology provides new opportunities for data analysis and risk-free forecasting of scenarios for the behavior of a digital model, and conducting all kinds of stress tests. When integrated with Internet of Things technology, data can be analyzed in real time and compared with other digitized objects. This approach helps improve the efficiency of both the specific problematic element of the supply chain and the entire system as a whole. It is also possible to improve the safety of workers; the model independently learns from its mistakes using machine learning and displays the results of its activities to people.

Digital twins not only show a copy of the required element, but also understand its dynamics, predict behavior, and are also capable of analyzing their own activities.

The application of the system of operational indicators, which developed during the years of the planned economy, in modern conditions requires an assessment for the changed working conditions of railway transport. However, it should be noted that any changes in the management of rail transport will have an impact on all logistics chains with the inclusion of rail transport. The emergence of wagon fleet operators and the transfer of almost all wagons of the network to them obviously reflected an increase in empty mileage, loss of versatility of the wagon fleet, an increase in the surplus of wagons on the infrastructure and, as a result, the risk of an increase in the number of ‟abandoned” trains. The analysis of the problems of the surplus of the wagon fleet and the increase in the number of ‟abandoned” trains makes it possible to structure the causes and differentiate the areas of management decisions for their leveling by JSC ‟Russian Railways”, operators of the wagon fleet and large cargo owners. The application of restrictions by JSC ‟Russian Railways” to the withdrawal of wagons on public tracks with obvious advantages in the context of the increasing strategic importance of railway transport may lead to the opposite effect of increasing the turnover of the wagon and the growth of the wagon fleet. The possibility of independent management of the wagon fleet for the largest operators with an analysis of the system of operational indicators with its subsequent improvement would allow solving a number of problems of rolling stock operation.

The goal of the conducted study is to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of both the existing technology for securing rolling stock and in analyzing the existing developments of prospective mechanized securing devices. It considers the possibility of optimizing the processing time of rolling stock in railway station yards through the use of automated securing devices.

The article presents the results of an analysis of the activities of the JSC “Russian Railways” and examines such an important transportation parameter as the turnover of freight wagons, including a breakdown of wagon turnover by elements. Special attention is paid to the fact that at railway stations, rolling stock spends a major part of the transportation process cycle.

To achieve the set goal, a detailed analysis of the existing and proposed technologies for securing and releasing the securing of rolling stock at stations was conducted. The advantages and disadvantages of each technology, as well as the time spent on performing operations for securing and releasing the securing of rolling stock, are considered. Based on the analysis, the most effective technology for securing and releasing the securing of rolling stock is selected. The main criterion for selecting the technology is the reduction of processing time for rolling stock at stations.

In conclusion, the article presents the main findings and recommendations for the implementation of the selected technology at railway stations. The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the desire to reduce operational costs by shortening the processing time of compositions in the context of increasing transport volumes and high competition in the transportation market. This can lead to economic benefits, optimal resource utilization, increased efficiency, and competitiveness of the company. Technically, it will also improve the reliability of securing mechanisms, reduce the risk of technical malfunctions, and increase the overall productivity of stations.

Recently, in the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, much attention has been paid to improving railway transport using the latest technologies and achievements of science and technology. For economic, social and environmental reasons, the development of this type of transport is becoming one of the main tasks of the governments of these countries.

A modern rail network will connect all GCC countries and provide another mobility option besides road, air and sea transport for both passengers and cargo in the region. The new national project is expected to make a significant contribution to the economy and prosperity of the countries in the region.

The development of the transport system in this region, taking into account economic and climatic features, is justified by the state transport strategy to achieve global indicators not only of traditional safety, accessibility and quality of transportation, but also of environmental friendliness, multimodality and speed.

As part of the long-term development of the transport system, among the priorities of the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar is the use of a vacuum maglev transport system to launch ultrahigh-speed train traffic by putting into operation the fastest train in the world with a speed of up to 1100 km/h, the project executor is an American company Hyperloop. The journey between Dubai and Riyadh will last only 48 minutes, the project becomes the main competitor to the highly developed air transport, and the train of the future will be the first means of transport between the Gulf countries.

The relevance of the project lies in the integration of the economy and life of the people of the countries of the region, increasing the mobility of citizens and residents, creating an attractive platform for companies, manufacturers, resources and human capital, supporting joint investments between countries, as well as developing the tourism industry and environmental protection.

The volume of industrial and household waste is growing annually, for the storage of which agricultural land is being withdrawn. Waste produced by Russian Railways can cause the destruction of natural ecosystems and lead to the extinction of species.

To reduce the impact on natural ecosystems, Russian Railways financed the construction of the largest waste recycling plant in Russia. The uniqueness of the plant lies in its closed-loop processing system without oxygen access. No harmful substances are released into the atmosphere during the combustion process. This method of waste disposal is intended for the processing and disposal of tires, rubber-containing, polymer-containing waste, oil sludge and waste oils.

Introduction of modern waste recycling technologies (Bars pyrolysis plant) by all divisions of JSC Russian Railways, it will help reduce the negative impact on the environment, will allow you to quickly and efficiently dispose of hazardous waste, as well as be cost-effective by obtaining secondary raw materials that will give the company profit and pay off the cost of installing equipment.

Ensuring safety in the railway sector from threats of various types is of strategic importance for the normal functioning of Russian society and the state. These threats are becoming particularly acute, given the introduction of unprecedented economic sanctions and political pressure against our country. In these conditions, the importance of Russia’s transport and logistics interests is increasing, and preventing threats to its normal functioning are becoming vital needs. This article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation in order to identify the compliance of tasks in the field of ensuring transport security with tasks in the field of ensuring safety in railway transport. The solution of these tasks in the context of the implementation of the Transport Strategy is seen by the author in improving the activities of security entities in the railway industry. This process, according to the author, will be facilitated by the definition of railway safety as an independent type of transport security, which will, in turn, unify the terminology of types of safety in the railway sector and specify practical tasks to ensure them.

The article discusses issues of train traffic safety. When considering competitive advantage when choosing modes of transport, special attention is paid to such a criterion as the quality of the services provided. One of the characteristics of the quality of railway transport services is the safety of train traffic. A questionnaire was conducted to identify the causes of traffic safety violations, and the main causes of non-standard situations were identified. One of the reasons for traffic safety violations is the human factor. It is proposed to reduce cases of non-standard and emergency situations through the introduction of digital automation technologies, such as the “shunting automatic locomotive alarm” (MALS) system. The technology relates to the field of railway automation, which can be implemented for use on locomotives in order to improve traffic safety, through competent regulation of train movement, as well as shunting work at the railway station. Timely control eliminates the transmission of erroneous (incorrect) information to the MALS, which eliminates the formation of false commands in locomotives and thereby reduces the number of non-standard and emergency situations in transport. This system will allow for a comprehensive modernization of existing signaling devices, automation of shunting work and more rational use of locomotives at the station, thereby improving the logistics process.

Passenger transportation in rolling stock railway carriage on Russian railways in the last third of the 19th – early 21st centuries are considered from the point of view of comfort for passengers created by the arrangement of the railway carriage body. The distinctive features of the interior of passenger cars of classes I, II, III and IV in pre-revolutionary Russia (1872–1916) are considered. Comparison of the interior of cars of different classes on railways of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. With the interior of compartment and second-class carriages used for transportation in Soviet Russia, and carriages of modern Russia, allows us to trace the evolution of technological solutions in the internal arrangement of carriages.

The characteristics of the main interior detail are given — the seating and lying areas for passengers, which is taken as the main indicator of comfort for passengers. The review of reference and historical data is supported by excerpts from works of Russian classical literature of the last third of the 19th century, and additional information about the seating areas for passengers.

The emphasis is placed on the use of information about the interior of passenger cars of classes I, II, III and IV, drawn from works of Russian literature of the last third of the 19th century, as illustrative material, in the course of students mastering the topic “Roads of pre-revolutionary Russia” when studying the discipline “General course of railway transport” for higher and secondary vocational education programs.