ON OCTOBER 1 Russian Railways will begin life as a joint stock company, OAO RZD, marking the start of the second phase of the railway reform programme. The company will remain 100% state-owned, according to Vice-Minister of Railways Anna Belova.
Reviewing progress with the reform programme on July 25, Mrs Belova said that over 20000 RZD installations and business units had been reviewed during the compilation of a full asset inventory for the rail network. She said details of every railway asset were now held on a single database ’from every locomotive to a cow on some farm.’ According to a decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov at the end of June, 987 businesses valued at 1300bn roubles will be transferred to form the asset base of the new company.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the formal decree constituting OAO RZD on August 12, with official registration to be completed and bank accounts opened 10 days later. At the end of August the railway was due to switch to a new tariff structure approved in June, which incorporates separate elements covering infrastructure access charges and the use of locomotives and rolling stock.
- Speaking on August 3 to mark National Railway Workers’ Day, Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Yaklovlev suggested the residual functions of the Ministry of Railways would become a directorate of the Ministry of Transport by the end of 2003. However, both ministries insisted that no timescale had been set for any merger.
