The thesis is based on the analysis of predecessors' achievements, wide source material, part of which has been first brought into scientific use. The evolution path and development of the science on railway stations and junctions in our country has been carefully and objectively examined. Some aspects of this science have not lost the relevance nowadays; they give the possibility on rational and efficient solution of problematic issues of the transport sector's contemporary development as a whole and rail transport in particular. The science on railway stations and junctions in our country began developing a bit faster than abroad. Therefore this science's prehistory should be dated as the 60-70-s of the ХІХ th century. Our railways were the first in the world to introduce the regulation of the transportation process, all mechanisms of rolling stock, track and railroad facilities, and to describe railway transport economy. The considered research spectrum shows how wide is the applications' range of the science on railway stations and junctions, which in its turn has a powerful impact on the formation of basic concepts, ideas and methods of mentioned industry technical knowledge, including rail transport. Since the formation of the science on railway stations and junctions its achievements have accumulated both huge theoretical and practical researches. No doubt that further thorough study of technological processes for passengers and freight transportation will contribute to the formation of new technological ideas, as well to the solution of many urgent problems related to the rail operation and people's welfare. The thesis shows a modern vision scheme on the formation and development of the science on railway stations and junctions. The ideas, theories and concepts, put forward and scientifically grounded by the scientists and engineers S. D. Kareisha, Yu. V. Lomonosov, V. M. Obraztsov, O. M. Frolov etc. contributing to the current development of scientific and technological progress, have been summarized in a concentrated form in the thesis. Stations and junctions, railway transport, commonly used railway network construction, bridges construction, transport mechanization, and special railways - this is not a complete list of issues which were worked out by the founders of the science on stations and junctions. Due to them this science contributed to the modernization process both in the Russian Empire and in the Soviet Union. Thanks to the academician V. M. Obraztsov the issues of establishing a common methodology concerning the process on the joint work of railway stations and sidings of industrial enterprises adjacent to them were first considered. It became a powerful lever for accelerating freight operations, the cars' turnover, and hence an increase in traffic volumes and rates. It has been proved that the science on railway stations and junctions has become one of the most important branches of the modern rail transport science and it is largely due to the activities of V. M. Obraztsov, S. D. Kareisha, O. M. Frolov, Yu. V. Lomonosov, S. V. Zemblinov and many other engineers and scientists. In addition to the fruitful production activities of Ukrainian engineers, since the early days of their engineering practice the scientists put forward in the press their promising ideas concerning railway transport reconstruction, the stations and joints design, transport mechanization, lines' switches calculation and complex railway operations. The operation theory and methods for car's turnover accelerating and for increasing traffic safety have been developed by the works of professors O. M. Frolov, I. I. Vasiliev, the engineers I. F. Rerberh, M. O. Demchynskyi, V. S. Shydlovskyi and other specialists. An important role in the development of the science on railway stations and junctions have also played the works of P. V. Barteniev, Ye. O. Hibshman, S. V. Zemblinov, V. D. Nikitin, S. H. Pisariev and others. V. M. Obraztsov, S. D. Kareisha, O. M. Frolov, Yu. V. Lomonosov, S. V. Zemblinov are considered to be the founders of the science on railway stations and junctions.
