Tariff setting for transportation services in non-public railway transport

Aim . The work aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the tariff setting system for services provided by non-public railway transport in 40 constituent entities of the Russian Federation (RF), and to develop recommendations for improving the tariff setting procedure. Objectives . The work seeks to analyze the current tariff regulation system for industrial railway transport enterprises (IRTE) services in 40 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and identify the applicable regulatory models; to systematize regional differences in methodological approaches to tariff setting; to identify key issues with the current tariff regulation system; and to develop practical recommendations for unifying approaches to IRTE services tariff setting and the monitoring system. Methods . The study is based on a systems approach and comparative tariff policy analysis methods. Federal and regional regulatory acts on tariff regulation were used as the information base. Results . The study revealed that most of the analyzed entities of the Russian Federation use a system of state regulation of tariffs for IRTE services. However, three regions have transitioned to free pricing. Significant regional and intraregional tariff differentiation, a lack of a unified tariff setting methodology, and a lack of data transparency were identified. Thus, along with the low profitability of most IRTEs, these can be attributed to the high level of depreciation of fixed assets (tracks and locomotives). Conclusions . The existing tariff setting system for the IRTE services is characterized by a lack of consistency, differentiation, and economic imbalance. To address the identified problems, we recommend to develop a unified, economically sound tariff calculation methodology with standardization across the list of regulated services. Harmonization of approaches to the selection of tariff regulation models is proposed to create a level playing field for freight transport market participants and improve the transport system efficiency.