Passenger Rail Transport: Issues of Functioning in Agglomerations of Millionaire Cities

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the existing system of passenger rail transport in cities with a population of one million. Transport infrastructure is an important element of urban infrastructure and participates in the formation of agglomeration links. The article discusses the issue of the connectivity of the outer zone of the city with the agglomeration due to the existing system of using rail transport. Three cities with a population of one million, with similar socio-economic and physical-geographical characteristics - Yekaterinburg, Kazan and Perm, were selected as territorial objects. The similar and different aspects of the formed passenger railway transport systems are revealed. It is concluded that the integral indicator of the level of development of suburban and intracity transport links of external zones demonstrates a strong Perm lag behind Yekaterinburg and Kazan. Yekaterinburg and Kazan possess highly differentiated links between the individual sectors of the city's outer zone. The "gap"between cities also takes place without taking into account the integration of electric trains with the metro, and becomes even stronger when taking into account the interaction of the two off-street transport systems.