ECONOMIC STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT ENTERPRISES IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND MILITARY RISKS

Abstract

The article examines the economic strategies for the development of railway transport enterprises in Ukraine in the context of deep structural transformations of the national economy, military risks, intensification of European integration changes, and digitalization of management and production processes. The role of railway transport as a strategically important component of the state's transport system, which ensures transport and economic ties, population mobility, national security, and sustainable socio-economic development of regions, is noted. The current state of railway enterprises is analyzed and the main problems of their functioning are identified, in particular, the critical level of depreciation of fixed assets, limited investment resources, low level of innovation activity, increased operating costs, imperfect management systems, and financial instability. The paper systematizes key areas for the formation of economic strategies for the development of railway transport enterprises, which include increasing the efficiency of financial, material, and labor resource management, as well as cost optimization, the introduction of modern digital and innovative technologies, diversification of funding sources, and the development of logistics services and mechanisms of public-private partnership. Additionally, attention is paid to the need to adapt strategic management to the conditions of martial law, to carry out post-war recovery (reconstruction) of the Ukrainian economy, taking into account the needs of rebuilding transport infrastructure and strengthening its competitive positions. A set of measures and recommendations is presented that are directly aimed at ensuring financial stability, investment attractiveness of enterprises, and increasing the competitiveness of railway transport. The implementation of such recommendations will contribute to the sustainable development of the industry, improving the quality of transport services, more effective use of transit potential, and deepening Ukraine's integration into the European transport space in the long term.