JSC Railway Research Institute (VNIIZHT)

VNIIZHT was founded in 1918 and it is an affiliated company of JSC “Russian Railways” since 2008. It is the largest scientific and research center of 1520 mm railway system in the field of research and design works that is capable to conduct all spectrum of certification tests.

VNIIZHT has always been oriented to the securing of safe operation of rolling stock and infrastructure objects, creation of new technical equipment and transport technologies.

VNIIZHT has joint projects with such world’s leading manufacturers as Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier, Talgo, Knorr-Bremse and others.

VNIIZHT offers solutions in the field of high-speed and heavy-haul traffic, rolling stock, infrastructure development, solutions for the wheel-rail system, use of new materials, nanotechnologies, environment, efficient energy use, alternative types of fuel, railways economy, tests of transport equipment and technologies that benefit our clients and help them to achieve their targets.

VNIIZHT regularly publishes the scientific magazine "VNIIZHT Bulletin", collections of its works.

VNIIZHT has the world’s first of its kind test facility for permanent way designs with loads of 300-350 million tons per year, facility for the conduction of rolling stock tests at speeds of up to 220 km/h, and tests of elements and units at loads of up to 500 tons.

VNIIZHT operates Test Loop at Shcherbinka station (Moscow region)

1-st loop track - length 6 000m, 2nd – 3rd loop track - length 5 700m,

Test center of VNIIZHT carries out all types of tests (from laboratory to field tests),

Laboratory tests include: Static, dynamic, cycle tests with load up to 500 tons of any unit and component of rolling stock and infrastructure

Field tests on the Test Loop include:

-Passenger rolling stock tests at speeds of up to 120km/h

-Freight rolling stock tests at speeds of up to 90km/h

-Intensity of goods traffic is 300-350 million t/km per km gross per year

Tests on regular railway lines:

-At speeds of up to 250 km/h

-At gradients of up to 35

-In field operating conditions

-Increase in mass and weight of freight trains

-Development of technical means for increasing car and axle loading

-Development of high-speed traffic

-Track and rolling stock interaction

-Saving of fuel, energy and material resources

-Increase in operational efficiency of passenger rolling stock

-Environmental program

-Certification, standardization and metrology

-Tests and safe operation of rolling stock

-Improvement of economy and finances management

-Improvement of labour efficiency

VNIIZHT includes:

-18 scientific departments

-6 branches located all over Russia

-Postgraduate Study and Dissertational Council

Total number of employees (including those in branches) is over 1700, including 34 Academic Doctors and 154 Candidates of Sciences (PhD).

VNIIZHT has branches in:

-Ural region (Yekaterinburg city)

-Volga region (Nizhniy Novgorod city)

-Siberia (Irkutsk city)

-Planning and design office (Moscow)

-Test Loop (Moscow)

-High-speed ground (Northern Caucasus region)