>>...lack of semi-conductors and Russia being cut off from the global supply chain for auto and aircraft parts
You missed precision bearings, ball and roller. Railcar wheels need bearings replaced on a regular basis. Once a bearing starts to fail, the wheel flat-spots due to being dragged (contact area on US-standard RR wheels is about the size of a dime (maybe 15mm) due to the wheels being cambered for self-centering. I’d guess it’s similar on Russian-width rail. If the bearing isn't replaced, the flat spot progresses and that in turn overheats the bearing further. Increasing the load reduces bearing life.
In the US, there are detectors that spot warm wheel bearings - and every railcar truck (the thing that holds the wheels) is on a maintenance schedule. There's a move afoot to (eventually!) replace those with truck-mounted sensors. Picture of one of those detectors below.
Consider how important rail transport is to RF logistics. Or, for that matter agriculture. The RF is a major grain producer, but it's done via an enormous area of somewhat productive land (in North America, wheat tends to be grown on land that won't support other crops). In the RF, there is minimal water transport available to much of that arable land, so RR transport is important.
Worth a thought...
Also, beautifully written article. It explains a lot of what mystified me when plowing through Russian literature.
