Assessment of the impact of external factors on railway passenger transportation

Aim. Identification of trends in the development of passenger transportation market, determination of the competitive advantages of railway transport in a dynamically changing external environment and development of practical recommendations for railway transport companies based on quantitative assessment and ranking of influencing environmental factors. Materials and methods. To identify and assess the impact of external factors on railway passenger transportation, the PEST analysis method is used, which includes statistical data analysis, as well as the method of expert assessments. Calculations and estimates are based on open data and official statistics from Rosstat, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Russia, as well as annual reports from Russian Railways and Federal Passenger Company. Results. 1) The environmental factors affecting passenger transportation by rail are systematized; 2) Recommendations have been developed to enhance the positive and neutralize the negative effects of the identified factors. Conclusion. The results obtained develop the theory of transport services market in terms of identifying structural transformations and features of the development of the passenger transportation market at the current stage of development. They can find practical application in government agencies responsible for developing transport policy measures, as well as in transport organizations in the development and implementation of corporate development strategies.