OREANDA-NEWS. April 08, 2010. An interregional round table was held today in Volgograd on the topic "Creating conditions for exporting products produced by companies of the Volga region by rail while RZD is being reformed". Organized by Freight One’s Saratov branch, the event was attended by Freight One First Deputy General Director for Commerce and Manufacturing Igor Asaturov, Freight One Saratov Branch Director Sergei Titkov, Volga Railways Director Alexander Khrapaty, representatives of the chambers of commerce of Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, clients of Freight One’s Saratov branch, including heads of such large enterprises as Sual OJSC, Sebryakovcement OJSC, Kaustik OJSC, TNK BP OJSC, TMK OJSC, Belenergomash CJSC, SKAI OJSC, Khimprom, Volgograd River Port OJSC, Volgograd Drilling Equipment Plant OJSC, Volga Pipe Plant OJSC, Gazpromtrans LLC, Balakovskiye Fertilizers LLC, Zirax LLC, LUKOIL-Trans LLC and others.

The discussion topics included how Freight One should organize its work on the Volga Railways with shippers and optimizing cooperation between shippers and carriers and owners of rolling stock while RZD is being reformed.

Volga Railways Director Alexander Khrapaty said in his speech that big changes are occurring in connection with the reform of RZD. The structure of the RZD holding company is changing, and subsidiaries are being created. The changes, which are taking place under the slogan "We are changing for you" are aimed at improving customer service quality. One of the main trends in the transport services market is an increase in private rolling stock as a proportion of the total. Since the reforms began, this proportion in the loading on the Volga Railways has increased from 51% to 88%. And this year, with the creation of Freight Two, the operator services market will be fully private. Without RZD-owned (so-called "inventory") rolling stock and with the economy recovering, the most important task for shippers will be to find a reliable operator to haul away products. Subsidiaries of RZD such as Freight One and Rusagrotrans aim not only at providing rolling stock, but also improving service.

Freight One First Deputy General Director for Commerce and Manufacturing Igor Asaturov noted that Freight One is the largest carrier on the railway market both in terms of haulage and fleet size. Despite the impact of the recession, the company successfully completed 2009 and is consistently and reliably meeting the growing needs of its partners. Freight One intends to maintain leadership by constantly improving customer service quality.

The Saratov Branch Director said that the branch is currently operating smoothly, consistently and accurately, providing service and fulfilling almost all requests from Volga Railways customers in Saratov, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions. The branch operates Freight One cars in the near and far abroad. Sergei Titkov noted that Freight One’s Saratov branch hauled about 4 million tons of cargo in 2009, up 50% from 2008. Freight One loaded more than 7000 cars a month on average on the Volga Railway in the last quarter of 2009. The average daily loading of the Saratov branch was more than 200 cars, up from less than 100 a year ago.

The branch constantly works to strengthen Freight One’s position in the operator services market. The branch actively promotes the company’s services, taking a flexible approach to each client and taking into account the customer’s interests and technological peculiarities. In particular, a client information service system has been developed to ensure efficient cooperation with them. The information service allows them to obtain real-time data on services provided, payments, billing for services, etc. Sergei Titkov noted that Freight One’s Saratov Branch is ready to consider any requests from clients on how to improve the system’s functionality or expand the service.

Since February 1 of this year, Freight One’s empty gondolas have been managed by an automatic system for dynamic allocation of empty wagons. Despite difficulties in the initial stage of implementation, the system is designed to ensure the availability of rolling stock for timely fulfillment of client requests.

As part of the railway transport development strategy until 2015 and the development of competition in local segments of the network, Freight One’s Saratov branch is considering the possibility of becoming a public carrier for the transport of petroleum products on the Tatyanka-Grushevaya segment. In addition, as the company increases its presence in the pre-port zone of the rapidly growing and developing Port of Olya, the company is considering the possibility of setting through rates for Freight One customers, including transshipment at the port.

At the conclusion of the meeting, many freight owners that work with Freight One agreed that working with a reliable carrier like Freight One is profitable and convenient.