The article attempts to analyze the publications of the so-called pre-Bolshevik period, which shed light on the activities of the Society of South-Western Railways, which existed in 1878-1916. This Society, which operated under the South-Western Railways, was a rather powerful scientific center in the last third of the 19th century.

The methods of source and archival analysis revealed the role and participation of the Society in the radical restructuring of railway transport in 1878–1900.

Little-known pages of the Board of Directors of the South-Western Railway Society were highlighted. The issue of improving the management structure of the South-Western Railways is the most deserving of special attention. It was concluded that the Association of South-Western Societies was created in order to improve the efficiency of South-Western railways, which initiated a radical restructuring of railway transport.

During the second half of the 19th century tsarist Russia was experiencing railway boomot; associated with the rapid construction of railways. At the end of the 19 th century there were 53 railways in tsarist Russia. The Society of South-Western Railways was created precisely for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of transportation and reducing the management apparatus. The board of this Society was headed by I. S. Bliokh. Under the leadership of the Board, intensive work was carried out on the modernization of the railway industry, rolling stock, buildings and the structure of railways. Since 1879, on the basis of the decision of the Ministry of Communications, the restructuring of the management bodies of the South-Western Railways and the search for favorable forms of its organization began.

In order to develop proposals regarding the management of the railway economy, it was decided to create 7 commissions: a) to study the organization of track maintenance and repair; b) for new construction and supply of building materials; c) regarding the development of the basis for estimates and conditions for concluding contracts for works); d) on proposals for the future organization of train traction services and rolling stock repair; e) for the organization of the operation and telegraph services; g) regarding the development of proposals on all issues of commercial activity; h) organization of central accounting and control of expenditure of monetary sums and consideration of tariffs existing on the railways. At the head of the Railway Administration, O. P. Borodyn agreed to become the manager of the Kyiv-Brest Railway. Borodyn was sent abroad by the railway Board to study the existing rail transport management systems there. Late 1878, after the completion of the work of the commissions and the return to Russia of O. P. Borodyn, railway management system was developed.

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