Discusses the problems of the vocational secondary education system in Russia. It is shown that in the information age, changes in all areas of society also relate to education, which should correspond to the requirements of the time. Coronavirus pandemic, known as COVID-19, is a serious problem faced by the modern world. In a situation of self-isolation education changes its format to remote learning. In connection with these, a problem arises: how to organize the educational process so as not to lose face-to-face interaction, which is an indicator of the high quality of education? A comparative analysis of the pedagogical, philosophical and sociological works on the problems of the development of modern society as a whole, and relevant issues of secondary specialized education and distance education in particular, has been performed. It is shown that for secondary specialized education this seems to be the most important, because, the age characteristics of students imply difficulties in organizing self-education, vocational education, in addition to theoretical knowledge, involves the development of practical skills, the implementation of which in a remote format causes a number of difficulties. In the current crisis situation, masters of industrial training and teachers of special disciplines need to continue the education process without reducing its quality. To achieve this goal, the development of virtual courses, simulators, as well as models of network interaction “college — production” are proposed. It was revealed that the teacher-tutor, using effective teaching methods that provide information technology, will help learners to orient themselves towards self-education. Secondary special education is faced with challenges that must be answered adequately: the transition to distance learning without losing the quality of education, preparing young people to independently respond to emerging challenges of the present, preparing teachers (especially of professional disciplines) for the specifics of work in a remote format.

The rapid development of the transport industry requires the operation of technically complex systems and high-tech equipment. This is typical for all types of transport. The publications of a number of experts are considered, according to which the industry transport universities of the Russian Federation are assigned a leading role in the innovative development of transport. The features of industry transport education, foreign models of staffing in the transport industry are analyzed. The author’s map of the distribution of major transport universities in the world and universities that have transport faculties is presented. Analysis of expert opinions, trends in the field of vocational education and the characteristics of industry transport education, made it possible to identify trends in the development of transport education: blurring the boundaries between transport educational programs (EP); increasing the role of additional EP in the field of transport; increased demand for individual EP, implemented using the means of electronic information educational systems; development of forms of cooperation and collaboration of universities implementing programs in the field of transport; the emergence of new professions in the field of transport; demand for new competencies needed to solve non-routine analytical and non-routine interpersonal tasks. The key factor in the influence of education on technological development and economic growth is the quality of education. In this regard, the content of the EP in the field of transport becomes relevant. In the EP in the field of transport, it is necessary to take into account the following trends and technologies: acceleration of digitalization; development of virtual and augmented reality; automation of the entire life cycle; new materials; the emergence of new transport systems and supply chains; development of low-carbon and carbon-free energy systems.

Considered the experience of federal educational and methodological associations in the system of secondary vocational education for enlarged groups of professions, specialties created in 2015 by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation The main objects of their activity are federal state educational standards, sample programs, quality assurance and development of the content of secondary vocational education, professional improvement of the activities of scientific and pedagogical workers. They showed the formation of a new project team. It is important to collect all railway specialties in one group to ensure the unity of approaches in the development of the content of federal state educational standards of secondary vocational education of secondary vocational education, exemplary educational programs and examination of their content, as well as to improve the quality of educational content and continuity with higher education. The corresponding specialties of higher education are included in one group 23.00.00 “Engineering and technology of ground transport”. Federal educational and methodological associations in the system of secondary vocational education provide expert services in the field of their activities. For this, an Expert Council has been created. The composition of the Expert Council is formed from the number of teachers of educational institutions of open source education. In total, during the work of the Expert Council, more than 130 examinations of educational publications on road and rail transport have been carried out.

Reveals the prerequisites, the process of development and structure of the National qualifications system in modern Russia, its significance for managing creation and appliance of qualifications in the labor and education fields and development of their dialogue. The author shows the role, main stages of activity and future tasks of the National Agency for the development of qualifications as an operator and methodological hub of this system, coordinator of interaction between business and education. Presents the key projects implemented by the National Agency: monitoring of the labor market, support for sectoral boards in order to form qualification structures, and build of the independent system of qualifications assessment. Since 2017, in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, the National Agency has been performing the functions of a Basic center for training, retraining and advanced training of workers. This function is particularly in demand today, since the promotion of new professional standards, new qualification requirements, and a new system of recognition of qualifications in the field of vocational training, secondary vocational and higher education is a guarantee of the quality of training.

The importance and role of the non-profit organization "Association of colleges and technical schools of transport", which has become a collegial body representing and defending the interests of a single educational community of railway colleges and technical schools working in the interests of the country's strategic industry, are considered. Today, the Association of colleges and technical schools of transport unites more than 50 educational organizations in the system of transport secondary vocational education. The main mission of the Association of colleges and technical schools of transport has been determined — coordination and organization of the activities of educational organizations, meeting the growing requirements of the industry for the quality of training qualified specialists of secondary vocational education, promoting the interests of transport education, including in matters of legal regulation of the implementation of tasks in the field of training specialists middle management. The factors providing the relevance and viability of the system of secondary vocational education of transport education are given. The prospects of the system of sectoral secondary vocational education are noted: the ability to quickly and disciplined rebuild, to effectively respond to the challenges of the time; the cohesion of the secondary vocational education system, manifested in the work of the Association of colleges and technical schools of transport — the coordinator and leading center of railway colleges and technical schools. A separate direction in the work of industry education is shown — participation in the WorldSkills movement in the context of the associated partnership of universities with the “Agency for the Development of Professional Communities and Workers Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia)”. The growing role of industry education in the WorldSkills Russia movement, which today is becoming a locomotive for professional education, is indicated.

Currently much attention is paid to the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. First of all, we are talking about the development of mineral deposits. The peculiarity of these territories is a very low population density, less than 1 person per square kilometer. The living conditions for people there are really not the best. At the same time, without proper transport support for these territories, the development of deposits is impossible. In this regard, the possibility of using "deserted" technologies in all spheres of human life comes to the fore. Today the world is actively developing Big Data technologies that allow you to process large amounts of data. And this means that people can rest and entrust routine operations to a computer. Rail transport looks most advantageous as a transport support for the Arctic zone. The main railway transport systems are railway tracks and rolling stock with integrated systems that ensure the safety of the transport process. The functioning of these systems should be co

Subject of research — the study of the structure of flow forecasting potential volume of traffic and in view of the potential senders of the cargo according to schedule to ensure train traffic market category. The relevance of the work is related to the globalization of world business and the rapid development of international relations, in particular, JSC “Russian Railways” is already implementing a service for accelerated cargo delivery — “Cargo express”. This service has successfully proven itself in many areas. It is necessary to consider the possibility of forming this service on the route “Moscow–Vladivostok”. Used analytical studies of the size of the presentation of cargo by potential senders, the method of exponential smoothing is used for forecasting. The definition of the “Cargo Express”, given the options for the formation of freight trains, examines the key points when travelling of the train in the direction “Moscow–Vladivostok”, the characteristic structure of the intended traffic at key points, made a forecast of estimated volumes of the production of goods for the years to 2030. Analysis of the structure and size of freight traffic will continue to assess the frequency of trains plying market category set the order of its formation, determine the number and type of wagons required for each paragraph of the passage, make an accurate transportation planning and hard route schedule, and provide an additional attraction as key customers and small and medium-sized customers on the rail. The development of terminal and logistics complexes should become the basis of the cargo frame in the studied direction.

Examined issues related to the implementation of the Northern Latitudinal Railway project, including its priorities and drivers. The relevance of this topic is associated with the implementation of the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2030 for the transport and logistics development of the Far North and access to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Used analytical, marketing, design methods, shared materials and official sites, our own research. Marked identified the priority scientific and practical tasks, the priorities of the project, drivers, bottlenecks, options for further development. The problems and prospects of the Northern latitudinal course project were studied on the example of the development and modernization of the railway and port infrastructure of the transport system in the far North of Russia. The project will not only double the existing capacity of the transport infrastructure of the macroregion, but also involve a wide range of minerals in economic turnover, and ensure a stable presence of Russia in the Western and Central sectors of the Arctic.

The development of a stand for maintenance and repair of railway equipment units includes theoretical and practical research. Theoretical research is the basis for obtaining practical results. Special attention is paid to the calculations of critical components and parts. By means of the stand, cars, locomotives, electric locomotives and other rolling stock can be brought into working condition. The purpose of the work is to develop a stand for maintenance and repair of railway equipment units. The object of the study is the technological process of the stand for the maintenance and repair of railway equipment units. The scientific novelty of the work is: theoretical justification of the stand design parameters; design and technological scheme of the stand; optimal design and operating parameters of the stand; estimated performance indicators of the stand. The practical significance lies in the use of the stand on the repair sections of the railway, reducing the labor intensity of the work performed, ease of maintenance, and the lowest cost of manufacturing. Theoretical methods were based on the principles of classical mechanics, mathematical analysis, synthesis, modeling, etc. Experimental data processing was performed using the application programs “Compass-3D”, Statistica 6.0, MathCAD. Calculations of the metal structure for bending strength, welded joints, and bed clamps were performed. The calculation of the bending strength of the metal structure was performed and the maximum stresses were found to be within the permissible limits. The condition for the strength of the welded joint is met. The calculation of the bed clips showed that the condition of wear resistance is met.

Railway tunnels are more damaged by electrical corrosion from local conditions than other objects, since they contain a lot of moisture and emissions accumulated between the railway track and the rails. The analysis shows that the average service life of structures inside tunnels is shorter (on average by 40–50 %) than outside tunnels. A variant of intelligent systems for predicting electrocorrosion of tunnel structures is presented, a VR-neural network is applied to it, the advantages of which are currently recognized in different areas, including in the field of intelligent control. The study is devoted to an algorithm using a neural network of the backpropagation method to develop a system for assessing the risk of electrocorrosion in the lining of a railway tunnel

A comprehensive study of the production and consumption waste management system was carried out with an emphasis on urgent problems in this area in the transport and construction sectors. The concept of ensuring the ecological safety of the “man — natural environment” system has been formed. Sources of ecological danger in the course of the reference with a waste in transport and building sphere are defined. Ecologically safe handling of a waste and maximisations of repeated application of a resource component (secondary resources) with a view of involving in economic circulation are applied for the first time to system studying modern research methods: the SWOT-analysis and the Preliminary analysis of Hazard». Implemented the scientific substantiation of methods, criteria, levels and system of requirements of maintenance of ecological safety in studied spheres of economic activities at all stages of the reference with a waste and secondary resources with a view of minimisation of formation of a waste and the maximum involving of their resource component in economic circulation is carried out. The system analysis of an ecological admissibility, technical possibility of use of resource potential of a waste as secondary resources in considered fields of activity for their repeated application is carried out at production, works, energy. By results of research practical measures on perfection of system of requirements ecologically safe handling of a waste are offered, levels of ecological safety of settlements concerning influence of a dangerous waste are generated.

On the eve of the approaching 200th anniversary of railway transport, the role and signifi of railways in the history of mankind are considered. A brief overview of ideas and implemented technologies is given, in chronological order, the path that the railways have traveled from slow-moving cars to modern super-express trains that compete with airliners are traced. In the conditions of an intensively operating railway network, professional qualities and the level of training of railway specialists are of particular importance. The development and improvement of a complex complex of railways is directly related to and depends on the level of training. Today, a specialist must perfectly know and understand the essence of the processes occurring in the transport system, the patterns and rules for the maintenance and repair of vehicles, ensure the safety of train traffic and labor safety. It is extremely important to know your past, to remember the path that our railways have traveled. The modern era of improving the transport system shows that railways have excellent prospects. The study of the history of railway transport demonstrates how great is the contribution and how great is the importance of the achievements of domestic railways in world practice.

The epidemiological situation associated with the coronavirus has affected all spheres of life of Russians, including education. Serious changes have affected all educational organizations without exception. The implementation of vocational education programs, vocational training and additional vocational education, as well as the activities of professional educational organizations have undergone dramatic changes and faced a number of difficulties. Therefore, methodological and legal support of educational activities during a pandemic is an urgent task. The paper considers regulatory documents and recommendations that regulate the activities of educational institutions implementing secondary vocational education programs in a difficult epidemiological situation. The main normative acts, which should be relied on for the correct interpretation of methodological and explanatory documents, are indicated. Regulatory documents and methodological recommendations concerning the following issues are given: implementation of programs using e-learning and distance learning technologies; forms of education; autonomy of an educational organization in the development of educational programs, the adoption of local acts; the student’s right to an individual curriculum, academic leave, during a pandemic. The experience of flexible implementation of educational programs will contribute to the growth of competence and qualifications of management and pedagogical teams of professional educational organizations.

Lectures, seminars, workshops, sessions are invariable attributes of the educational process in secondary vocational educational institutions. However, modern education is accompanied by research activities, cultural and moral education, sports and recreational activities. How do students live outside of classrooms? We offer a review prepared on the basis of the materials of the branches of the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University (PGUPS).