OREANDA-NEWS.  June 23, 2014. The IX International Rail Business Forum "1520 Strategic Partnership" began in Sochi.

The Forum's main goal is to promote a coordinated approach to the development of the railway sector across the 1520mm broad-gauge space in order to ensure its leading position on the global market for freight and passenger traffic.

The Forum has already become a traditional venue for discussions among the leaders of the railway business in Europe and Asia.

Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, read greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Forum's participants.

According to Putin, the issues on the Forum's agenda will make for a more efficient use of transport infrastructure, help to build commercial and industrial operations and create the preconditions to strengthen interregional and international ties and the sustainable growth of Russia's economy.

In turn, Vladimir Yakunin said that from year to year, the level of the Forum is not only increasing, but the geography of its participants is also expanding.

"It is gratifying to see that the "Strategic Partnership 1520" is evolving and every year attracts more railway industry professionals from different parts of the Eurasian continent. As a result, it is thus becoming one of the biggest and most important business platforms," said the president of Russian Railways in his welcome address.

Vladimir Yakunin said that the Forum's representative composition is dictated primarily by the need to discuss the issues facing rail transport and the sector in general as the system of economic and trade links continues to develop.

"Taking into account the historic document signed by the heads of state of the three countries Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on 29 May 2014 to establish the Eurasian Economic Union, which will lead to a higher degree of integration, issues of business development in the Eurasian transport market are of primary importance," said Yakunin.

According to the President of Russian Railways, no less important is the evaluation from all aspects of the macroeconomic benefits resulting from the construction of high-speed railways in Russia and their integration into a single global rail network.

The Forum will discuss a range of issues concerning the logistics of passenger transport and its intermodal development, taking into account the changing configuration of passenger traffic, innovative developments in the field of railway transport and assess who will implement all these strategies and the ideas of today and tomorrow, i.e. human resources.

In addition, the prospects for the sector's development based on the network contract and long-term tariffs for freight transport will also be under discussion.

For the first time at the Forum, questions about the brand of transport companies and their image on the transport services market, as well as the development of freight logistics in the metropolis, are on the agenda.

Also scheduled are various discussion and interactive formats with the participation of senior management from Russian Railways, the executive and legislative authorities, rolling stock operating companies, transport engineering companies and freight forwarders, as well as the heads of foreign railway administrations.