Information that things have begun to move forward became available a week ago when President Medvedev met with Yakunin. At the meeting attention was paid to passengers’ safety as well as commuter transportation. The President was content that 258 Russian railway stations have already been equipped with video cameras. Last February President Medvedev became critical of the Russian Railways’ leadership when he visited Kievsky railway station and did not encounter any law enforcement officers on site.
The incident led to rumors about the CEO’s swift resignation; Yakunin has headed Russian Railways since 2005. Experts have predicted that Minister of Transport Igor Levitin, governor of Sverdlovsk region Alexander Misharin, or a well-known investor Grigory Berezkin were considered for the post of the company’s CEO. “It’s just silly rumours on the Internet,” Berezkin told Izvestia. “There has been and there is no discussion (about me being appointed CEO. For many years Levitin has served as a military commandant at Russian Railways. Prior to the reforms at the Ministry of Transport, Misharin served as Deputy Minister of Transport, and then became a member of the Russian Railways’ Board of Directors.
Yakunin learned of his reappointment from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who told him that “the decision was made in light of good indicators and positive dynamics in the work of the organisation.” Compared to the last two years of decline in the number of travellers, there has been a 4% increase in January-March 2011.
Yakunin reported to the Prime Minister about the development of high-speed transportation in Russia. He also talked about the extension of Northern railways to Murmansk and the development of the Moscow Little Ring Railway designed to help solve traffic problems in Moscow.
After his meeting with Putin, Yakunin wrote in his blog that his contract has been extended. He promised that “the railways industry will continue its work in accordance with the strategy adopted by the Russian Railways leadership and implemented by the company management.” At the same time, he stated that although some refer to him as an oligarch, it is a misconception. “Due to the fact that I do not have a great amount of personal equity that could influence the government’s domestic and international policies, I do not fall into this category,” Yakunin summed up.
Alexey Ashihmin